Electroacupuncture Helped Ease Carpal Tunnel in Study

Source:
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Summary:
Electroacupuncture combined with nighttime splinting may help alleviate pain from chronic carpal tunnel syndrome, according to a recent randomized controlled trial.

Electroacupuncture may help relieve pain from carpal tunnel syndrome, shows randomized controlled trial

Electroacupuncture combined with nighttime splinting may help alleviate pain from chronic carpal tunnel syndrome, according to a randomized controlled trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

"We found that treatment using electroacupuncture provided small improvements in symptoms, disability, function, dexterity and pinch strength among patients with chronic mild to moderate symptoms of primary carpal tunnel syndrome when combined with nocturnal splinting," writes Dr. Vincent Chung, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care and the Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with coauthors.

Carpal tunnel syndrome affects about 3% of the general population and can limit daily activities in people, causing substantial work-related issues and resulting in disability claims. Night splinting and local steroid injection are two commonly recommended treatments for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.

The study, conducted by researchers in Hong Kong, compared the use of electroacupuncture and night splinting to splinting alone in relieving mild to moderate pain from carpal tunnel syndrome over 17 weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to the two groups, and of the 181 who started, 174 completed the study. They reported pain based on a symptom scale commonly used to assess pain from carpal tunnel syndrome.

Patients who received electroacupuncture combined with nighttime splinting reported better symptom relief at 5 and 17 weeks than the control group. The study also showed that splinting alone did not alleviate pain or improve function.

The researchers concluded that electroacupuncture combined with nocturnal splinting has the potential to provide some relief to patients with chronic mild to moderate discomfort from carpal tunnel syndrome.

Read more: Acupuncture for Depression: Does It Really Work? Discuss with Top 10 Questions

Electroacupuncture Helped Ease Carpal Tunnel - How might electroacupuncture work?

It "stimulates sensory nerves that provide input to the spinal cord and brain," Eshkevari said. This prompts the release of chemicals in the brain that affect things like high blood pressure and nausea, she said.

Both Longhurst and Eshkevari said the new study was limited, in part because the researchers didn't test it against a "sham" form of acupuncture to act as a control. This would have helped determine if the electroacupuncture itself had a role beyond the interaction between a patient and an acupuncturist, Longhurst said.

He also noted that "one does not get an idea of how much this improved the patients' ability to work or their daily life activities."

"This is a low-risk procedure that they might try since acupuncture helps to reduce pain and inflammation," Longhurst said.

Eshkevari agreed, saying "this is a scenario where it is worth a shot to avoid more invasive procedures like surgery. And this study is certainly promising."

But Longhurst cautioned that "most trials show that at most, only 70 percent of patients respond to acupuncture, including electroacupuncture. So, not everyone is a responder."

Study author Chung also cautioned that electroacupuncture isn't recommended for pregnant women or people with seizures, epilepsy, bleeding disorders, heart rhythm problems or pacemakers.

The findings were published June 6 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

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