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- Title
Short-term effects of local microwave hyperthermia on pain and function in patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome: a double blind randomized sham-controlled trial.
- Authors
Frasca, Giuseppina; Maggi, Loredana; Padua, Luca; Ferrara, Paola Emilia; Granata, Giuseppe; Minciotti, Ileana; Marzetti, Emanuele; Specchia, Alessandro; Ronconi, Gianpaolo; Rabini, Alessia; Bertolini, Carlo; Piazzini, Diana Barbara
- Abstract
Objective: To determine the short-term effects of local microwave hyperthermia on pain and function in patients with mild to moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.Design: Double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial.Setting: Outpatient clinic of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Hospital.Participants: Twenty-two patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, 12 of whom had bilateral involvement, for a total of 34 wrists, divided into two groups: a hyperthermia active treatment group (number of wrists = 17) and a sham-controlled group (number of wrists = 17).Intervention: Six sessions, two per week, of either hyperthermia or sham treatment were provided over a period of three weeks.Main measures: Visual analogue scale, Levine–Boston Self-Assessment Questionnaire (part I: evaluation of pain intensity; part II: evaluation of functional status) and neurophysiological assessments, were determined at baseline and at the end of the treatment.Results: The hyperthermia group experienced a significant improvement in pain (visual analogue scale: P = 0.002; Levine–Boston part I: P < 0.0001) and functional status (Levine–Boston part II: P = 0.002) relative to baseline. No improvements in pain intensity or functionality were observed in the sham-treated group. Changes in pain severity between baseline and the end of treatment were larger in the hyperthermia group than in the sham-controlled group (Δ visual analogue scale P = 0.004; Δ Levine–Boston part I: P = 0.009). No differences either intra or between groups were observed for median nerve conduction velocity.Conclusion: Hyperthermia provides short-term improvements in pain and function in patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Subjects
CARPAL tunnel syndrome treatment; ACADEMIC medical centers; ANALYSIS of variance; CARPAL tunnel syndrome; MICROWAVES; HEALTH outcome assessment; RANDOMIZED controlled trials; VISUAL analog scale; TREATMENT effectiveness; DISEASE prevalence; BLIND experiment
- Publication
Clinical Rehabilitation, 2011, Vol 25, Issue 12, p1109
- ISSN
0269-2155
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/0269215511400767