Which Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Surgery is often successful but not always the best option, particularly because diagnosis is often ambiguous.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) commonly is treated with surgery, steroid injections, or splinting. The author of this review critically examined 34 articles to determine the outcomes of these treatment options and of no treatment.

Surgery was the most successful option, benefiting 75% of patients. Steroids helped 70% of patients, but their effect was short-lived. Splinting benefited only 30% of patients, a rate only slightly better than doing nothing; however, CTS worsened in 40% of untreated patients compared with 0% of those receiving splints.

Reviewing Author

Ernest W. Johnson, MD