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In a 2008 Cochrane review, surgery was deemed to be more effective than wrist splinting for relieving carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms (Cochrane Database Syst Rev Oct 8 2008). However, surgery has not been compared with combinations of noninvasive treatments.
Researchers enrolled 116 patients with moderate CTS, in whom >2 weeks of noninvasive therapy (including splinting) had failed; patients were randomized to either surgery or a combination of ibuprofen, splinting, and six sessions (in 6 weeks) of customized hand therapy (including exercises and recommendations for modification of work and activity). Patients who did not show improvement as a result of this noninvasive regimen were offered 12 sessions of therapeutic ultrasound.
At 1 ye…