A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy and covered in Bel Marra Health asserts that physical therapy treats carpal tunnel syndrome better than surgery.
Here are five things to know:
1. The study placed 100 female carpal tunnel patients in two groups: half were treated with physical therapy and the other half underwent surgery.
2. Patients who received physical therapy treatments showed similar results to their counterparts who had undergone surgery after one year.
3. Physical therapy patients improved faster when measured at the one-month mark, as evidenced by their improved hand function and better grip strengths. After three, six and 12 months, all patients improved on a similar trajectory.
4. Surgery is only performed in severe cases, but keeps one out of every three patients out of the workforce for up to eight weeks.
5. Researchers concluded that physical therapy was just as effective as surgery and could be seen as the better treatment due to patients' quicker recovery. However, they cautioned that more research should be done, as their study only included women from one hospital.
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The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society and M2S produce foot and ankle research network