Comparative effectiveness of ultrasound and paraffin therapy in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized trial

BACKGROUND: Conclusive evidence indicating an effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a common entrapment neuropathy, is lacking. Ultrasound therapy (US therapy) has long been used as one of the combination treatments for CTS. In addition, paraffin bath therapy has been applied widely as a physical modality in treating patients with hand conditions. The purpose of this randomized trial was to compare the efficacy of combining a wrist orthosis with either US therapy or paraffin bath therapy in treating CTS patients. METHODS: Patients with CTS were randomized into two groups. All patients received a wrist orthosis. Twice per week, one group underwent paraffin therapy, and the other group underwent ultrasound therapy. Each patient received a questionnaire, physical examination and nerve conduction study of the upper extremities before and after treatment for eight weeks. RESULTS: Sixty patients were recruited, and 47 completed the study. Statistical analysis revealed significant improvements in symptom severity scores in both groups. After adjusting for age, gender and baseline data, the analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference in the functional status score between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of ultrasound therapy with a wrist orthosis may be more effective than paraffin therapy with a wrist orthosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrial.gov: NCT02278289 Oct 28, 2014 ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2474-15-399) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.