Kinesio taping as an alternative treatment for manual laborers with carpal tunnel syndrome: A double-blind randomized clinical trial

Author(s):  
Atefeh Aminian-Far ◽  
Dariush Pahlavan ◽  
Fatemeh Maleki Kohnegi

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common forms of peripheral neuropathies due to median nerve compression. Occupational factors, such as repetitive hand motions are believed to be associated with this condition. OBJECTIVE: This clinical trial assessed the effect of Kinesio taping (KT) of hand flexor muscles on the management of mild to moderate CTS in Iranian manual laborers. METHODS: Thirty manual laborers with mild to moderate CTS participated in this clinical trial. They were assigned to an intervention or a control group. The treatment consisted of a 2-week KT followed by a 4-week follow-up. The control group received sham KT without tension applied. Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire scores, pinch and grip force tests, and electrophysiological examination of the median nerve were performed for each participant at baseline, 24 to 48 hours, and two to four weeks of follow-up. The statistical analysis of variance was performed five times for all participants, comparing differences in the data within and between the two groups. RESULTS: The baseline assessment revealed no inter-group differences in the clinical outcomes (P⩽ 0.05). Comparisons of the changes in the electro-physiological and functional variables indicated significantly greater improvement in the KT group than in the sham counterpart (P< 0.05). No statically significant improvement was evident by the electrodiagnostic criteria in the sham-KT group (P⩽ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: KT is an effective, safe, reliable, and conservative therapeutic choice for the management of patients with CTS. The treatment does not restrict the daily activities of patients nor has it any side effects.

2000 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. MONDELLI ◽  
F. REALE ◽  
F. SICURELLI ◽  
L. PADUA

A prospective study of electrophysiological examination and the Boston self-administered questionnaire (BQ) was carried out in patients with surgically-treated carpal tunnel syndrome. There were 104 hands in 93 patients (13 men and 80 women, mean age 56 years). The BQ was used to assess the severity of symptoms and function, and nerve conduction studies were done before surgical release by short incision at the palm, and at follow-ups 1 and 6 months after surgery. The BQ severity score improved or became normal in 98% of hands. The mean BQ scores and distal sensory and motor conduction velocities in the median nerve showed significant improvement at the 1 month follow-up. Further significant improvement was found at 6 months. There was no relationship between the improvements in BQ scores and the distal conduction in the median nerve. The degree of improvement in sensory and motor distal conduction velocities could be forecast from presurgical values, whereas the degree of improvement in the symptoms and the functional status after release could not be predicted from the presurgical BQ scores.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2;23 (4;2) ◽  
pp. E175-E183
Author(s):  
Emad Zarief Kamel

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy, which results from median nerve compression. A lot of nonsurgical modalities are available for the management of mild to moderate situations. Local Hyalase hydrodissection (HD) of the entrapped median nerve could offer a desirable sustained symptom alleviation. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Hyalase/saline solution carpal tunnel HD on pain, functional status, and nerve conduction in patients with CTS. Study Design: A randomized, double-blinded trial. Setting: Anesthesia, pain, and rheumatology clinics in a university hospital. Methods: Patients: 60 patients with CTS (> 6 months’ duration). Intervention: patients were allocated equally into either group 1 (HD with Hyalase + 10 mL saline solution injection), or group 2 (HD with 10 mL saline solution only). Measurements: assessment of pain using Visual Analog Scale (VAS), functional disability (FD) score, and nerve conduction studies before injection, and over 6 months after injection. Nerve conduction parameters before injection and postinjection by the end of 3 and 6 months were evaluated as well. Results: Statistically significant lower postinjection values of VAS (1 ± 1.8, 2 ± 1.1, 2 ± 1.2, 2 ± 1.1) in group 1 versus (2 ± 1.2, 3 ± 1.7, 4 ± 1.5, 5 ± 2.6) in group 2 by the end of the first week, and the first, third, and sixth months, and significantly lower FD scores (15.3 ± 1.2, 13 ± 1.3, 10.2 ± 1.3, 10.2 ± 1.3) in group 1 versus (17.5 ± 1.8, 16.6 ± 2.8, 19.4 ± 3.2, 21.2 ± 2.5) in group 2 during the same time intervals. Nerve conduction study parameters have shown significantly higher velocity and lower latency in the Hyalase group than in the saline solution group by the 3 and 6 month follow-up. Limitation: We suggest a longer period could be reasonable. Conclusions: Carpal tunnel HD with Hyalase with saline solution is considered as an efficient technique offering a rapid onset of pain relief and functional improvements, and better median nerve conduction in patients with CTS over 6 months follow-up duration. Key words: Carpal tunnel syndrome, Hyalase, median nerve hydrodissection


Author(s):  
Suk H. Yu ◽  
Tracy A. Mondello ◽  
Zong-Ming Li

Carpal tunnel syndrome is conventionally treated by open and endoscopic release surgeries in which transecting the transverse carpal ligament (TCL) relieves mechanical insults around the median nerve. The TCL release surgeries yield an increase in the tunnel cross-sectional area particularly within the volar aspect of the tunnel, the arch area, where the median nerve is located. As a result of increased arch area, post-operative follow-up studies using MRI confirmed a significant volar migration of the median nerve [1]. However, transecting the TCL compromises critical biomechanical roles of the carpal tunnel [2], and therefore, it is imperative to investigate an alternative method for treating carpal tunnel syndrome patients while preserving the TCL. Li et al. suggested that increasing the TCL length and narrowing the carpal arch width (CAW) as potential alternatives for increasing the arch area [3]. However, the data from their application of palmarly directed forces to the TCL from inside of the tunnel showed that the TCL length remained relatively constant while the carpal bones were mobilized to increase the arch area [3]. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between CAW narrowing and the TCL-formed arch area by experimental and geometrical modeling.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 313-322
Author(s):  
Filip Georgiew ◽  
Andrzej Maciejczak ◽  
Jakub Florek ◽  
Ireneusz Kotela

Background. Nerve compression underlying carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) results in an increase in the threshold of superficial sensation in the area supplied by the median nerve, which is a mixed nerve dominated by sensory fibres. The distribution of sensory symptoms is strongly dependent on the degree of electrophysiological dysfunction of the median nerve. The association between carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve entrapment at wrist level is still unclear. Patho­logical processes leading to median neuropathy in CTS may affect ulnar nerve motor and sensory fibers in the Guyon canal. This may explain the extra-median spread of sensory symptoms in CTS patients. Material and methods. The study involved 88 patients (104 hands), with 70 women (83 hands) and 18 men (21 hands) aged between 25 and 77 years. 50 age- and sex-matched subjects without carpal tunnel syndrome were used as a control group. The diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome was made according to the criteria of the American Academy of Neurology 1993 guidelines. Based on the results of an ENG trace evaluating the degree of conduction disturbances in the median nerve, the patients were classified to one of three severity subgroups. The threshold of sensory excitability to pulsed current was determined in a test with single 100 ms rectangular pulses. Conclusions. 1. The threshold of sensation in the fingers innervated by the median and ulnar nerve is significantly lon­ger in patients with CTS than in controls. 2. Surgical treatment decreases the threshold of sensation in the fingers innervated by the median nerve. 3. Surgical treatment does not decrease the threshold of sensation in the fingers innervated by the ul­nar nerve. 4. The preoperative and postoperative threshold of sensation in the fingers innervated by the median and ulnar nerve is significantly longer in patients with severe carpal tunnel than in mild and moderate cases.


1998 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 603-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. PADUA ◽  
R. PADUA ◽  
M. NAZZARO ◽  
P. TONALI

We prospectively studied 266 hands in 133 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in order to evaluate: the incidence of bilateral CTS symptoms; correlation between severity, duration of symptoms and bilateral occurrence of CTS; agreement of clinical and neurophysiological findings; and the neurophysiological findings in asymptomatic hands in unilateral CTS, The incidence of bilateral clinical CTS in our population was 87%. Neurophysiological impairment of median nerve was observed in about half of the asymptomatic hands. Follow-up of patients with unilateral CTS showed that contralateral symptoms developed in most cases. We found a significant positive correlation of bilateral CTS with the duration of symptoms, whereas there was no correlation with the severity of symptoms. Our data suggest that bilateral impairment of median nerve is the rule in patients with CTS and probably it has been underestimated in previous studies.


2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 426-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adham do Amaral e Castro ◽  
Thelma Larocca Skare ◽  
Paulo Afonso Nunes Nassif ◽  
Alexandre Kaue Sakuma ◽  
Bruno Luiz Ariede ◽  
...  

Objective:To evaluate the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in candidates for bariatric surgery comparing with the non-obese population and verify the effects on it of bariatric treatment. Methods:We studiedthree groups of individuals: 1) patients waiting for bariatric surgery (preoperative); 2) individuals who had already undergone the procedure (postoperative); and 3) control group. We collected demographic and clinical data of carpal tunnel syndrome. The Ultrasound examination was carried out to diagnose the syndrome by measuring the median nerve area. Results:We included 329 individuals (114 in the preoperative group, 90 in the postoperative group and 125 controls). There was a higher prevalence of paresthesias (p=0.0003), clinical tests (p=0.0083) on the preoperative group when compared with controls (p<0.00001). There were lowe levels of paresthesias (p=0.0002) and median nerve area (p=0.04) in postoperative patients but with no significant difference in general. A significant difference was found between the preoperative and postoperative groups (p=0.05) in those who performed non-manual work.Conclusion: There was a higher prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in the preoperative group compared with the control one, but no significant difference was observed between the pre and postoperative groups in general. There was difference between pre and postoperative groups for non-manual workers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 34-43
Author(s):  
D. G. Yusupova ◽  
A. A. Zimin ◽  
D. A. Grishina ◽  
N. V. Belova ◽  
A. V. Vershinin ◽  
...  

Background. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common tunnel neuropathy in which the median nerve is compressed at the level of the wrist in the carpal canal. Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome can be conservative and surgical. Surgical treatment is indicated in case of ineffective conservative treatment. However, the strategy of managing patients with carpal tunnel syndrome in the postoperative period has not yet been determined; there is no clear understanding of the effectiveness and necessity of rehabilitation in the early and long-term postoperative periods.Aim. Follow-up the patients after decompression of the median nerve in the late (up to 3 weeks after surgery) and long-term (3 weeks after surgery) postoperative periods to assess the effectiveness of different methods of rehabilitation.Materials and methods. A randomized controlled study included 108 cases of idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (unilateral and bilateral). After surgery, the patients were divided into three groups: the restorative treatment group using magnetic therapy, the kinesiotherapy group, and the control group. Clinical, neurophysiological and ultrasound monitoring was carried out for six months.Results. Patients of all the groups showed similar improvement in the most of the analyzed parameters, without any significant difference.Conclusion. Thus, according to the results of a comprehensive study, it is evident that early diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and a high-quality surgical decompression of the median nerve with a complete dissection of the flexor retinaculum of the hand guarantee improvement within six months or later after surgical treatment without additional rehabilitation measures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng-Ting Lin ◽  
Chun-Li Liao ◽  
Ming-Yen Hsiao ◽  
Hsueh-Wen Hsueh ◽  
Chi-Chao Chao ◽  
...  

Ultrasound-guided perineural dextrose injection (PDI) has been reported effective for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Higher volume of injectate may reduce adhesion of median nerve from other tissues, but volume-dependent effects of PDI in CTS remain unknown. We aimed to investigate whether PDI with different injectate volumes had different effects for CTS participants. In this randomized, double-blinded, three-arm trial, 63 wrists diagnosed with CTS were randomized into three groups that received ultrasound-guided PDI with either 1, 2 or 4 ml of 5% dextrose water. All participants finished this study. Primary outcome as visual analog scale (VAS) and secondary outcomes including Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score (QuickDASH), electrophysiological studies and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve at carpal tunnel inlet were assessed before and after PDI at the 1st, 4th, 12th and 24th weeks. For within-group analysis, all three groups (21 participants, each) revealed significant improvement from baseline in VAS, BCTQ and QuickDASH at the 1st, 4th, 12th and 24th weeks. For between-group analysis, 4 ml-group yielded better VAS reduction at the 4th and 12th weeks as well as improvement of BCTQ and QuickDASH at the 1st, 4th, and 12th weeks, compared to other groups. No significant between-group differences were observed in electrophysiological studies or median nerve CSA at any follow-up time points. There were no severe complications in this trial, and transient minor adverse effects occurred equally in the three groups. In conclusion, ultrasound-guided PDI with 4 ml of 5% dextrose provided better efficacy than with 1 and 2 ml based on symptom relief and functional improvement for CTS at the 1st, 4th, and 12th week post-injection, with no reports of severe adverse effects. There was no significant difference between the three groups at the 24th-week post-injection follow-up.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03598322.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Basant Elnady ◽  
Elsayed M. Rageh ◽  
Tohamy Ekhouly ◽  
Sabry M. Fathy ◽  
Mohamed Alshaar ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the commonest entrapment neuropathy. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and validity of high resolution musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of CTS in the Saudi population. Methods Sixty patients were diagnosed clinically to have CTS involving 89 wrists that were confirmed by neurophysiologic studies. Each affected wrist was characterized as idiopathic or associated with either diabetes mellitus or hypothyroidism and were assigned a severity grade based on results of neurophysiologic studies. Seventy-six healthy wrists from fifty age, sex and BMI matched healthy subjects were included in the control group. High resolution ultrasound (US) was performed to assess median nerve cross sectional area distal (CSAd) at the entry to the carpal tunnel and proximally (CSAp) at the level of pronator quadratus muscle with a further calculation of their difference (ΔCSA) and their mean average or CSAd+CSAp/2 (CSApd). Results There was a significant difference between both groups regarding mean ± SD of CSAd, CSAp, ∆CSA, and CSApd (p = 0.0001). A positive significant correlation was also found between the CSAd, ∆ CSA and the CSApd measurements with neurophysiologic severity grade of CTS (P = 0.001). A ∆CSA threshold of 2.5 mm2 showed the highest sensitivity and specificity to diagnose CTS in Saudis. Conclusion High resolution ultrasound is a valid and accurate diagnostic modality in carpal tunnel syndrome and correlated to CTS severity. A ∆CSA greater than 2.5 mm2 is considered a valid diagnostic value for CTS in our Saudi population. CTS in our patients with diabetes tend to have greater median nerve US measurement values.


2019 ◽  
Vol Volume 12 ◽  
pp. 579-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afshin Karimzadeh ◽  
Shahriar Bagheri ◽  
Seyed Ahmad Raeissadat ◽  
Shahab Bagheri ◽  
Seyed Mansoor Rayegani ◽  
...  

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