Carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects about three percent of women and two percent of men, is caused by excessive pressure on one of the the nerves in the wrist, and is a common cause of pain, numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand. Although initial treatment for CTS involves wrist splinting, followed by steroid injections, many patients eventually require surgery to treat the condition by removing swollen tissues pressing on the median nerve in the wrist. Now, a new study confirms that methylprednisolone injections may relieve symptoms and reduce rate of surgery up to one year after treatment.
In order to assess the potential benefit of these injections, researchers conducted a prospective, randomized trial consisting of three groups, each with 37 subjects. Subjects received a placebo injection, or 40 or 80 mg of methylprednisolone. After ten weeks, patients who received either the 40 or 80 mg doses reported less severe symptoms of CTS compared to those taking the placebo. However, after one year, three out of four patients receiving steroids still ended up undergoing surgery to treat the condition. Ultimately, although the injections may relieve discomfort and weakness in the short term and allow patients to delay surgery, within one year most patients will have the surgery.
Study authors believe that further research is needed to try to find an effective solution to treat CTS besides surgery, as surgery often results in increased medical costs and limited use of the hand during the recovery period.
ACSH s Dr. Ruth Kava notes, Although these injections do not prevent the need for surgery, they do appear to provide at least temporary relief to those suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome and will allow patients some flexibility in terms of scheduling surgery.
