Comparative Effectiveness of Ultrasound and Paraffin Therapy in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Trial

Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation

Status: Completed

Conditions: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Treatments: Device: ultrasound; Procedure: paraffin therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02278289

BuddhistTCGHTaipei

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of combining a wrist orthosis with either ultrasound therapy or paraffin bath therapy in treating carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

Full description

The purpose of this exploratory study is to compare the combination of a wrist orthosis with either ultrasound therapy or paraffin bath therapy in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome patients. We hypothesized that ultrasound therapy might be more effective than paraffin therapy because it provides both thermal and nonthermal effects.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patients to have subjective symptoms (such as pain and/or numbness in the median nerve distribution of the digits or nocturnal pain). Furthermore, patients were required to have either a positive Phalen's sign or a positive Tinel's sign along with electrophysiological evidence of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Exclusion criteria

• (1) age younger than 18 years old; (2) underlying medical disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, renal failure, autoimmune disease or hypothyroidism; and (3) pregnancy, previous wrist trauma or surgery.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

ultrasound therapy group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients in the ultrasound therapy group were treated with US therapy for 5 minutes each session, twice per week for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Device: ultrasound

paraffin therapy group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients in the paraffin therapy group were treated with the dip-and-wrap method of paraffin bath therapy in the hospital twice per week for 8 weeks. The temperature of the paraffin bath was maintained at approximately 55°C

Treatment:

Procedure: paraffin therapy