Continuous And Pulsed Ultrasound Treatments On Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The Placebo-Controlled Continuous And Pulsed Ultrasound Treatments on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome : A Randomised Trial

The aim of this placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the effects of pulsed and continuous ultrasound treatments combined with splint therapy on patients with mild and moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome

The study included 36 carpal tunnel syndrome patients who were randomly divided into 3 groups.The first group received 0 W/cm2 placebo ultrasound treatment. second group received 1.0 W/cm2 continuous ultrasound treatment and the third group received 1.0 W/cm2 1:4 pulsed ultrasound treatment 5 days a week for a total of 15 sessions. All patients were also treated with night splints during the treatment. Pretreatment and posttreatment Visual Analogue Scale scores, Symptom Severity Scale scores, Functional Status Scale scores, median nerve motor conduction velocity. and distal latency and sensory conduction velocity of median nerve in the 2nd finger and palm were compared.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Mild or moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (without thenar atrophy or spontaneous activity on electrophysiological examination of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Secondary entrapment neuropathies
• Cervical radiculopathy
• Systemic diseases with increased risk of the carpal tunnel syndrome
• Gained surgical relief of the syndrome
• Treated with ultrasound for the syndrome
• A history of steroid injections into the carpal tunnel and of physical therapy within the last 3 months
• Patients with either thenar atrophy or spontaneous activity (fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves) on electrophysiological examination