Treatment of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Laser
The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy.
After surgery different types of complication may occur,1-10 then search
for new clinical forms of treatment is necessary.
The main clinical treatments are physical therapy, bracing, steroid
injections and alternative therapies as yoga and acupuncture.
In recent years, it has taken on increasing importance treatments with ultrasound and laser.
The effects of laser on the peripheral nervous system are controversial.
Laser application on the distal sensory branch of the radial nerve
led to increased latency and decrease velocity.
Application on the median nerve in 51 normal volunteers, led to a slight increased
latency in sensory antidromic conducting study. Such data were not confirmed by others,
whose normal volunteers showed no changes in conduction studies after application of Laser.
One Brazilian study proposed a randomized controlled trial, which will be useful
to assess the effectiveness of the conservative treatment and low-level
laser therapy for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Exclusion criteria were diabetes and other endocrine diseases,
renal failure, alcoholism or occupational exposure to environmental toxic agents,
patients with any other medical conditions
that cause polyneuropathy, and antecedents of previous surgery,
trauma, burns or fractures in the affected limb.
Visual Analogic Scale, Carpal Flexion Amplitude using
a goniometer and Strength of the Abductor Pollicis Brevis muscle using a dynamometer
were determined before and after treatment.
Antidromic sensory conduction studies using ring
electrodes, and motor conduction studies using standard surface
disc electrodes were performed by conventional described techniques.
Neuro Open J. 2015; 2(2): 51-55. doi: 10.17140/NOJ-2-112
