Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome With Medical Acupuncture

Background: Conservative management plays an important role in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Non-surgical options include physical and occupational therapy, splints, steroid injections, yoga, carpal bone mobilization, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Clinical experience demonstrates that acupuncture should be considered among these treatments as it may provide symptomatic relief to patients with this disorder. Objective: To demonstrate an acupuncture protocol for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Design, Setting, and Patients: Seventeen patients with electrodiagnostically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome treated by a solo medical acupuncture practitioner for carpal tunnel syndrome. Patients were seen between 1998 and 2007 at the practitioner’s New York office. Intervention: Needling of PC 6, PC 7, TH 5, and Baxie 1 and 2 points. Most patients additionally received osteopathic manual therapy. Main Outcome Measure: Patient-reported symptom relief. Results: Twelve of 17 patients had partial or complete symptom relief with treatment. Two patients’ symptoms were considered too severe for acupuncture treatment. The remaining 3 patients had no appreciable change in their symptoms. Conclusion: The acupuncture method described herein can be an effective treatment for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. This report should prompt a larger prospective trial.