New carpal tunnel acupuncture research demonstrated healing of injured peripheral nerves and reduction in pain. Electromyography, nerve conductions studies, and ultrasonic imaging confirmed that acupuncture improved peripheral nerve responses and repaired peripheral nerve tissues in patients diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
In addition, the researchers (Ding et al.) recorded significant pain relief in clinical observations using a numerical rating scale. They concluded in objective and subjective testing that acupuncture was effective for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. The detailed research was published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine.
Background
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by median nerve compression. Nerve entrapment causes pain, numbness, and weakness of the forearm, wrist, and hand. Some patients are unable to discern hot from cold sensations and others experience damage to local tendons, muscles and ligaments.
Findings
Acupuncture combined with moxibustion healed median nerve transection areas (MNTA). Distal motor latency (DML) of the median nerve and thumb-to-wrist sensory conduction velocity (SCV) improved significantly. Improvements in nerve transmissions were confirmed with motor conduction velocity (MCV), compound muscle action potential (CMAP), sensory nerve action potential (SNAP), sensory conduction velocity (SCV), and distal motor latency (DML) electrodiagnostic tests. High-resolution ultrasound imaging demonstrated significant improvements in the transverse carpal ligament (TTCL) and median nerve transection areas.
The Details
Acupuncture was applied using sterile, single-use needles. Patients were positioned with their elbows slightly bent. The needles were stimulated with manual acupuncture techniques every ten minutes during the thirty minute treatment sessions. Acupuncture was applied once per day, five days per week, for two weeks. This process was repeated twice for a total of thirty acupuncture treatment sessions over a six week period.
The primary acupuncture points used on all patients included:
Daling, PC7
Neiguan, PC6
Waiguan, SJ5
Yangchi, SJ4
Neilaogong, PC8
Secondary acupuncture points included:
Yanggu, SI5
Yuji, LU10
Lieque, LU7
Hegu, LI4
Carpal Tunnel Acupuncture Research Conclusions
Researchers examined the clinical data and determined that acupuncture plus moxibustion were effective for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. This aligns with our own experience at Raleigh Acupuncture. Our carpal tunnel treatment uses electro-acupuncture, which is similar to the regular acupuncture given in this study with manual needle stimulation.
Our treatment, like this carpal tunnel acupuncture research, reduces pain and provides long lasting healing for our patients. Unlike this research, we typically require just 6 to 12 treatments (they conducted 30 treatments).
Next Steps
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WATCH VIDEO DESCRIBING CARPAL TUNNEL TREATMENT.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CARPAL TUNNEL TREATMENT.
LIST OF ALL PAIN CONDITIONS WE TREAT.
References
Ding Q & Shen F. (2015). Effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on electrophysiological characteristics of peripheral nerve in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. 14(14).
Therimadasamy A, Pin Peng Y, Wilder-Smith EP. Carpal tunnel syndrome – median nerve enlargement restricted to the distal carpal tunnel [J]. Muscle Nerve, 2012, 46(3): 455-457.
What our Clients are Saying
I’m a massage therapist and never had a problem with wrist or hand pain until last year. My whole hand (right worse than left) starting throbbing and going numb with searing pain through the wrist, thumb and pointer finger. It was waking me several nights a week and interfering with my work. I started getting treated at Raleigh Acupuncture. It has dramatically reduced my pain, to the point where I can work and am not waking up at night. I think the nature of my work puts alot of strain on my wrists, but I’m not ready to give up my profession. I’ll need regular acupuncture for this, but I don’t mind. It’s the only thing that’s helped.
I’m a computer programmer and have been sitting at a desk working a mouse for years. It finally caught up with me a few months ago. I developed a terrible pain in my wrist that made my whole hand go numb, especially at night. The acupuncturist said the condition was easy to treat. My friend had surgery for the same thing. I figured I might as well try a few treatments. That’s all it took. The pain went away and hasn’t returned. Thank you Raleigh Acupuncture!
Raleigh Acupuncture cured my carpal tunnel syndrome for good! This has been plaguing me for years, waking me at night. My hands would go numb and shooting pains would go up my arms. I was nervous about the treatments beforehand, but they babied me! It wasn’t bad at all. Anyway, the pain is gone, gone, gone! I’m hooked on acupuncture now.
