• Dingli Xu, Weihu Ma, Weiyu Jiang, Xundong Hu, Fangqian Jiang, Chengli Mao, Yang Wang, Lingyan Fang, Ni Luo, Haojie Li, Zhenqi Lou, and Kaifeng Gan.
• Ningbo University Medical School, Ningbo, 315000, China.
• Int Orthop. 2020 Jan 1; 44 (1): 141-146.

PurposeExtracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been reported as a new therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, few studies have compared ESWT with the local corticosteroid injection (LCI).MethodsIn this study, a randomized controlled trial comparing 30 patients with ESWT and 25 patients treated with LCI was conducted. The clinical outcomes were obtained with tests including the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and paresthesia, the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BQ), and a nerve conduction study, before the study started and at three, nine, and 12 weeks after the start of the treatment.ResultsSignificantly greater improvement in the VAS and BQ scores was noted for the ESWT group than for the LCI group (P < 0.05). For the nerve conduction study, there was a significant improvement in the median nerve sensory nerve action potential distal latency at the nine and 12-week follow-ups for the ESWT group.ConclusionsESWT is a useful noninvasive short-term treatment for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome and elicits a better recovery than LCI does, but more research is needed to test the clinical outcomes of ESWT.

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