Surgery is the definitive treatment for
carpal tunnel syndrome.
Conservative treatments, such as wrist splinting and
steroid injections, are also effective for the relief of carpal tunnel symptoms, but their use remains controversial because they only offer long-term relief in a minority of patients. A prospective study was performed to assess the role of
steroid injections combined with wrist splinting for the management of
carpal tunnel syndrome. A total of 73 patients with 99 affected hands were studied. Patients presenting with known medical causes or muscle wasting were excluded. Diagnosis was made clinically and electrodiagnostic studies were performed only when equivocal clinical signs were present. Each patient received up to three
betamethasone injections into the carpal tunnel and wore a neutral-position wrist
splint continuously for 9 weeks. After that period, symptomatic patients received an open carpal tunnel release, and those who remained asymptomatic were followed up regularly for at least 1 year. Patients who relapsed were scheduled for surgery. At a minimum follow-up of 1 year, seven patients (9.6 percent) with 10 affected hands (10.1 percent) remained asymptomatic. This group had a significantly shorter duration of symptoms (2.9 months versus 8.35 months; p = 0.039, Mann-Whitney test) and significantly less sensory change (40 percent versus 72 percent; p = 0.048, Fisher's exact test) at presentation when compared with the group who had surgery. It is concluded that
steroid injections and wrist splinting are effective for relief of
carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms but have a long-term effect in only 10 percent of patients. Symptom duration of less than 3 months and absence of sensory impairment at presentation were predictive of a lasting response to
conservative treatment. It is suggested that selected patients (i.e., with no thenar wasting or obvious underlying cause) presenting with mild to moderate
carpal tunnel syndrome receive either a single
steroid injection or wear a wrist
splint for 3 weeks. This will allow identification of the 10 percent of patients who respond well to
conservative therapy and do not need surgery.