[Electrodiagnostic evaluation of conservative treatment in carpal tunnel syndrome]

Abstract

The incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome ranks first by far among all entrapment neuropathies. Many foreign studies have been reported over the years concerning the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, but very few about its treatment effects. Moreover, data have been based on the patients' subjective reports of their symptoms. Our data, however, are wholly derived from objective electromyographic examination. Five treatment approaches were compared for patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome in this study. Ninety-nine hands of 61 patients were divided into five treatment groups vitamins B6 & B12, steroid injection, hand splint, splint combined with vitamins, and splint combined with injection. Each patient was evaluated with electrodiagnostic study before the treatment, and 1 and 2 months after the treatment. Treatment with hand splinting, local injection at wrist, and combined therapies were all superior in effect to vitamins B6 & B12 alone in sensory nerve conduction study. The effects of treatment appeared faster in the groups with local injection and local injection combined with hand splinting in the sensory and motor nerve conduction studies. The results of this study suggest that treatment with vitamins B6 & B12 alone does not suit carpal tunnel syndrome well and that hand splint combined with steroid injection is the better conservative treatment.