Liposuction and Plastic Surgery Information - Botox treats carpal tunnel syndrome

Botox treats carpal tunnel syndrome

Friday, 29 September 2006

Botox, more commonly associated with cosmetic and aesthetic use, has potential for treating the effects of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, according to a pilot study conducted recently in Taiwan. The pilot study found that 60% of those treated responded well to the treatment with Botox, reporting reduced paid from the syndrome.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which affects 8% of the population, is typically associated with repetitive motions of the hand, such as those performed using a keyboard or operating factory machinery. The syndrome occurs when the median nerve, running through a narrow passageway in the wrist (the carpal tunnel) becomes compressed over time, resulting in pain, numbness and weakness in the wrist, fingers and hand.

Botox, although primarily associated with aesthetic and cosmetic uses, has also been used in recent years to treat various neuromuscular conditions such as tics, tremors and spasticity, with some doctors reporting its effectiveness in relieving migraine.

The Taiwanese study, conducted by Dr. Ching-Piao Tsai, of The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, treated five women with a one to two year history of carpal tunnel syndrome. The study subjects were treated with 60 units of Botulinum toxin type A into the carpal tunnel.

The subjects tolerated the treatment safely and none of the patients reported a decrease in strength in their hands. After 3 months of treatment, 3 of the 5 women reported a decrease in pain, 1 reported no change and one reported an increase in pain.

Dr. Tsai said that a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is now justified, adding that the results of the current study "may have been confounded by the placebo effect of intracarpal injection."

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