Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of mild
to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized,
placebo-controlled, double-blinded study. SETTING: Single-center study.
PARTICIPANTS: Forty-one acupuncture-naive adult subjects with mild to moderate
CTS enrolled in the study. Thirty-four subjects completed the study. METHODS:
Clinical diagnosis of CTS was supported by electrodiagnostic findings. Subjects
were randomly assigned to either (1) acupuncture (n = 21) or (2) placebo
acupuncture (n = 20) with use of Streitberger placebo acupuncture needles. Both
groups received weekly sessions of acupuncture for 6 weeks. Wrist braces were
provided to both groups to wear at night, and compliance was monitored. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measurement was subject-reported change
in the Carpal Tunnel Self Assessment Questionnaire (CTSAQ) Symptom and Function
scales immediately after and at 2 weeks and 3 months after the final treatment.
The secondary outcomes included tip and key pinch strength and combined sensory
index. RESULTS: Compared with pretreatment baseline values, subjects in the
acupuncture group had 0.58 improvement (P = .03) on the CTSAQ Symptom scale score
at 3 months after the last treatment, whereas 0.81 improvement (P = .001) was
noted in the placebo acupuncture group. No statistically significant difference
was found between the groups treated with acupuncture and placebo acupuncture
with respect to improvement in CTS symptoms, function, tip/key pinch, or combined
sensory index. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this study is the first randomized,
placebo-controlled, double-blinded prospective study of traditional acupuncture
for CTS. Both the treatment and placebo groups demonstrated improvements from
baseline. Acupuncture was not shown to be superior to placebo acupuncture when
used in conjunction with bracing for patients with mild to moderate CTS.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS