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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Jan 25;19(1):32.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-018-1948-3.

Comparison of single-dose radial extracorporeal shock wave and local corticosteroid injection for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome including mid-term efficacy: a prospective randomized controlled trial

Pichitchai Atthakomol  1 , Worapaka Manosroi  2 , Areerak Phanphaisarn  3 , Sureeporn Phrompaet  3 , Sawan Iammatavee  4 , Siam Tongprasert  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparison of single-dose radial extracorporeal shock wave and local corticosteroid injection for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome including mid-term efficacy: a prospective randomized controlled trial

Pichitchai Atthakomol et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have reported that radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) reduces pain and improves function in patients with mild to moderately severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) compared to a placebo. However, most of those studies used multi-session rESWT combined with wrist support and evaluation of efficacy was limited to a maximum of 14 weeks.

Methods: The prospective randomized controlled trial compared efficacy in relieving pain and improving clinical function between single-dose rESWT and local corticosteroid injection (LCsI) over the mid-term (24 weeks). Twenty-five patients with mild to moderately severe CTS were randomized to receive either single-dose rESWT (n = 13) or LCsI (n = 12). Primary outcomes were evaluated using the Boston self-assessment questionnaire (BQ), while secondary outcomes used the Visual analogue scale (VAS) and electrodiagnostic parameters. Evaluations at baseline and at 1, 4, 12 and 24 weeks after treatment were performed.

Results: There was significantly greater improvement in symptom severity scores, functional scores and Boston questionnaire scores at weeks 12 to 24 in the rESWT group compared to the LCsI group. When compared to the baseline, there was significant reduction of VAS and functional score in the rESWT group at weeks 12 and 24. The LCsI group had no statistically significant differences in VAS reduction and functional score of the same period.

Conclusions: Treatment of CTS using single-dose rESWT has a carry-over effect lasting up to 24 weeks suggesting that single-dose rESWT is appropriate for treatment of mild to moderate CTS and provides longer-lasting benefits than LCsI.

Trial registration: ( TCTR20150709001 ). Registered 9 July 2015.

Keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Extracorporeal shock wave; Randomized controlled trial; Steroid injection; Treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Ethics Committees in Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University approved this study.

All participants gave written informed consent before data collection began.

The committee’s reference number: ORT-2558-02855.

Consent for publication

Not Applicable

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The participant enrollment flow diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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