2023 Frontiers in Neuroscience

Acupuncture's effectiveness for carpal tunnel syndrome uncovers better pain relief compared to night splints and potential benefits when used alongside other treatments

Acupuncture was found to be more effective than night splints for pain relief, but no differences were observed in symptom severity and functional status. When used alongside other treatments, acupuncture showed potential in improving various CTS factors. However, the evidence quality was generally low or very low.

Acupuncture for carpal tunnel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Dong Q, Li X, Yuan P, Chen G, Li J, Deng J, Wu F, Yang Y, Fu H, Jin R

2022 Medical Acupuncture

Acupuncture may be effective and safe for short-term pain reduction and functional improvement in hand-and-wrist conditions.

In the 10 included RCTs (622 participants), 6 had a low risk of bias. For cryotherapy-induced pain, 1 trial showed significant pain reduction post treatment. For rheumatoid arthritis, 1 trial shown significant pain reduction and function improvements post treatment and short-term. For carpal tunnel syndrome, 1 trial showed significant pain reduction and functional improvements intermediate-term, while 3 trials suggested no significant difference. For tenosynovitis, 1 trial showed significant pain reduction and function improvements short-term. For poststroke impairments, 1 trial showed significant function improvements post treatment and at short-term, while another trial suggested no significant difference. No significant improvements were noted for trapezio-metacarpal joint osteoarthritis. In 2 trials, adverse effects occurred in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome; yet acupuncture appeared to be relatively safe.

The Effect of Acupuncture on Hand and Wrist Pain Intensity, Functional Status, and Quality of Life in Adults: A Systematic Review Trinh K, Zhou F, Belski N, Deng J, Wong CY

2021 Journal of Pharmacopuncture

Acupuncture can be used for carpal tunnel syndrome treatment without serious adverse effects.

In the selected papers, several measurement tools measured the post-treatment improvement of patients and, in most cases, a comparison of the acupuncture and control groups showed that acupuncture treatment was significantly more effective than the comparator intervention. Thus, acupuncture treatment was positively evaluated with regard to efficacy for mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.

Effect of Manual Acupuncture for Mild-to-Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review Huh JH, Jeong HI, Kim KH

2019 Clinical Rehabilitation

For both symptom relief and function improvement, manual acupuncture is superior to ibuprofen for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Result of this systematic review has shown that acupuncture and related therapies appear to be effective in improving symptoms, function and pain in carpal tunnel syndrome.

However, validity of such conclusion is limited as majority of the included trials are at high risk of bias from lack of blinding.

Associated adverse events were minimal.

Acupuncture and related interventions for carpal tunnel syndrome: systematic review Wu IXY, Lam VCK, Ho RST, Cheung WKW, Sit RWS, Chou LW, Zhang Y, Leung TH, Chung VCH

2019 Timisoara Physical Education and Rehabilitation Journal

The results of manual, traditional and non-invasive therapies are similar to those of surgical treatments, and even better in a very large number of cases.

In the current context of medicine and therapy, statistics indicate a tendency to approach the carpal tunnel syndrome by surgical treatment, to the detriment of approaching the pathology through a non-invasive technique. The relevant specialized articles selected for this study, and published in the past 10 years, prove that alternative medicine, physical therapy, electrotherapy, and the natural evolution of untreated patients or of patients exposed to the placebo effect, may significantly improve the symptoms of the carpal tunnel syndrome.

Systematic review of treatment methods for the carpal tunnel syndrome Glazer C, Pantea C

2017 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Acupuncture therapy can lead to both clinical and morphological improvements in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

In this study, 27 female patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome were divided into two groups: one that used only a night wrist splint and another that received additional acupuncture therapy. The measurements were taken from 45 limbs and included a visual analogue scale, the Duruöz Hand Index, and the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire scores. In addition, electrophysiological measurements and observation of the median nerve's cross-sectional area were taken before and after the treatment.

Following the treatment, improvements were observed in both groups according to the visual analogue scale, the Duruöz Hand Index and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire scores, and the electrophysiological measurements. However, a significant decrease was noted solely in the cross-sectional area of the median nerve in the acupuncture group, while the control group that only used the wrist splint showed no changes. Thus, it was concluded that acupuncture therapy provided both clinical and morphological benefits to patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Acupuncture Effect on Median Nerve Morphology in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: An Ultrasonographic Study Ural FG, Öztürk GT

2015 Neurology

The majority of trials demonstrate a positive effect of acupuncture over control condition in the treatment of neuropathy.

The majority of RCTs reviewed showed clear benefit for acupuncture over control in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy, Bell’s palsy and carpal tunnel syndrome. Acupuncture is probably effective in the treatment of HIV-related neuropathy and there is insufficient evidence for its benefits in idiopathic neuropathy. Meta-analyses of all diabetic neuropathy and bell’s palsy data using a summary estimate random effects model showed combined Odds Ratio (OR) of 4.23, p<0.001 favoring acupuncture over control for pain outcomes. The majority of trials demonstrate a positive effect of acupuncture over control condition in the treatment of neuropathy. Further more rigorously designed studies are needed to better characterize this effect.

Effects of Acupuncture on Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Alexandra Dimitrova, Charles Murchison, Barry Oken

2015 Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies

Short-term acupuncture treatment is more effective than ibuprofen for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.

In our study, none of the patients treated with acupuncture developed complications, whereas five patients treated with ibuprofen had gastrointestinal side effects (we then used omeprazole); however, none of them withdrew from the study due to the adverse effects. Therefore, acupuncture is superior in safety as well.

The limitations of this study include the low number of treatment sessions in the group treated with acupuncture. If the number of treatment sessions were added, better therapeutic results may have been obtained.

Overall, it seems that acupuncture is a relatively uncomplicated and safe treatment option for patients with mild to moderate CTS and can improve symptoms and electrodiagnostic parameters.

Efficacies of Acupuncture and Anti-inflammatory Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Hadianfard M, Bazrafshan E, Momeninejad H, Jahani N.