| Objective: To observe the long-term efficacy of combined use of extracorporeal shock wave and local steroid injection in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Methods: Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were divided into three groups according to the random number table method: combined group, shock wave group and injection group, with 20 cases in each group. Among them, 1 case fell off in the shock wave group, and a total of 19 cases completed the study, and 3 cases fell off in the injection group, and a total of 17 cases completed the study. All patients received conventional treatment, the shock wave group was treated with extracorporeal shock wave based on conventional rehabilitation treatment, the injection group was treated with local injection of steroid drugs on the basis of conventional rehabilitation treatment, and the patients in the combined group were treated with combined extracorporeal shock wave and local steroid injection. All 3 groups were treated for 4 weeks. The VAS assessment and BCTQ symptom and function assessment were performed before treatment, after 4 weeks of treatment and after 8 weeks of treatment, respectively. Results: After 4 weeks of treatment, VAS score, BCTQ symptom and function score, motor and sensory function indexes were significantly improved in the three groups as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and after 8 weeks of treatment, the combined group had better results than the other two groups in VAS score, BCTQ symptom-level function score, CMAP, SCV, and SNAP (P<0.05). Conclusion: The combined use of shock wave therapy and local injection not only resulted in better symptom and functional improve-ment in a shorter period of time, but also possessed better long-term efficacy than one of the treatments applied alone. |
