Carpal tunnel treatments: Which work? Part 1
Hello
Carpal tunnel syndrome is truly an awful problem. Pain, and weakness in your hands whenever you use them is awful, because when do you not use your hands??
Many people try all sorts of things to help for their pain, this week we will look at how effective is the most common go to treatments that aren’t surgery.
Let us look at the evidence.
This week’s study is called “Non‐surgical treatment (other than steroid injection) for carpal tunnel syndrome”
This is a systematic review on all the studies done on these treatments. This is conclusive proof of their effectiveness.
Let’s look at the treatments and their evidence.
Nocturnal hand brace versus control (no treatment):
” In summary, there is limited evidence that a nocturnal hand brace improves symptoms, hand function and overall patient‐reported change in the short‐term (up to four weeks of use).”
Meaning there is no evidence to say it works.
Wrist splint: full‐time versus night‐only use
“there is limited evidence that night‐only wrist splint use is equally effective as full‐time wrist splint use in improving short‐term symptoms and hand function.”
Meaning they both work equally badly.
Wrist splint: neutral versus 20-degree extension angle
This is a special type of brace that bends the wrist back a little.
They found that “there is limited evidence that neutral wrist splinting results in superior short‐term overall and nocturnal symptom relief (at two weeks) when compared with wrist splinting in extension.”
Short term here means the benefit wears off. Putting you in position where the problem has just gotten worse while wearing the brace.
Look out for part 2, with even more treatments examined
Jason
