Effects of Dry Needling in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Mini-review
Abstract
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a complicated ailment in which there is compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel and which can lead to pain, disrupt the range of motion, hand function, and finger grip force. Dry needling treatment is used for CTS by inserting the needle to reduce pain and lowering the tension over the nerve to improve symptoms.
This review aimed to determine whether dry needling is useful in treating carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. Studies published between 2000 and 2021 were identified by searching PubMed, Google Scholar, and Springer. Studies identified by the electronic search were screened against a set of predetermined inclusion criteria. Five studies were included in this review. The main variables measured were pain, range of motion, hand function, and grip strength. Results show that dry needling is effective in the short term for pain relief and increased range of motion and improved finger grip in patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. There is less literature on the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome associated with dry needling. As there is some evidence of a positive effect in the short term and in mild to moderate CTS, further randomised clinical trials of good methodological quality using standardised and well-described procedures for the application of dry needling are needed.
How to cite this article:
Solanki D, Chauhan P, Kaur G. Effects of Dry Needling in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Mini-review. Chettinad Health City Med J. 2023;12(1):88-94.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2278.2044.202314
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