Comparative Effectiveness of Ultrasound and Paraffin Therapy in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Trial

Comparative Effectiveness of Ultrasound and Paraffin Therapy in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Trial

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of combining a wrist orthosis with either ultrasound therapy or paraffin bath therapy in treating carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

The purpose of this exploratory study is to compare the combination of a wrist orthosis with either ultrasound therapy or paraffin bath therapy in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome patients. We hypothesized that ultrasound therapy might be more effective than paraffin therapy because it provides both thermal and nonthermal effects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients to have subjective symptoms (such as pain and/or numbness in the median nerve distribution of the digits or nocturnal pain). Furthermore, patients were required to have either a positive Phalen's sign or a positive Tinel's sign along with electrophysiological evidence of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) age younger than 18 years old; (2) underlying medical disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, renal failure, autoimmune disease or hypothyroidism; and (3) pregnancy, previous wrist trauma or surgery.