Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
Laser therapy can be highly effective for carpel tunnel syndrome, when correctly diagnosed. In such a compression neuralgia, low level laser acts by reducing oedema and reducing or eliminating pain. If treated early, complete remission of symptoms can be achieved with laser alone.
For more long-standing conditions it is most useful as a complementary measure. If surgery has been undertaken, then laser therapy's ability to promote wound-healing and again address pain both through nociceptor suppression and endorphin release, make it an ideal therapy for optimal post-operative recovery.
Although each case will differ depending on the individual and the stage of the condition, in general treatment every 3 or 4 days would be advised to a total of approximately 10 sessions.
Photobiomodulation of Pain in Carpel Tunnel Syndrome: Review of Seven Laser Therapy Studies. Margaret A. Naeser, Ph.D., Lic.Ac.. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery. Vol. 24 (2).
In this review, seven studies using photoradiation to treat carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) are discussed: Two controlled studies that observed real laser to have a better effect than sham laser, to treat CTS; three open-protocol studies that observed real laser to have a beneficial effect to treat CTS; and two studies that did not observe real laser to have a better effect than a control condition, to treat CTS. In the five studies that observed beneficial effect from real laser, higher laser dosages (9 Joules, 12-30 Joules, 32 J/cm2, 225 J/cm2) were used at the primary treatment sites (median nerve at the wrist, or cervical neck area), than dosages in the two studies where real laser was not observed to have better effect than a control condition (1.8 Joules or 6 J/cm2). The average success rate across the first five studies was 84% (SD, 8.9; total hands = 171). The average pain duration prior to successful photoradiation was 2 years. Photoradiation is a promising new, conservative treatment for mil/moderate CTS cases (motor latency < 7 msec; needle EMG, normal). It is const-effective compared to current treatments.