Taking Alpha-Lipoic Acid for 40 days after Carpal Tunnel Surgery can decrease the likelihood of developing Pillar Pain.
Filed under Reviews, Treatments
Filippo, B., Granchi, D., Roatti, G., Merlini, L., Sabattini, T., & Baldini, N. (2017). Alpha-lipoic acid after median nerve decompression at the carpal tunnel: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Hand Surgery, 4, 236–42.
The Skinny – A double-blind, randomized controlled study was performed. Sixty-four patients were randomly assigned into two groups after median nerve decompression. Thirty-two patients took the alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), while the other 32 received the placebo pill.
In The Weeds – The outcome measures utilized were Boston Carpal Tunnel score, 2-point discrimination, presence or absence of pillar pain, use of analgesics beyond post-op day 2, and sensory and motor conduction velocities. These measures were assessed at three months post-op.
Bringing it Home – ALA did not significantly improve nerve conduction velocity or Boston Carpal Tunnel score. Taking ALA did reduce pillar pain, and static 2-point discrimination improved in both groups.
Taking ALA for 40 days after carpal tunnel surgery can lower the incidence of Pillar Pain. The study size was relatively small, and the outcome measures of pain and two-point discrimination test are somewhat subjective measures. The ALA treatment (pillar pain treatment) was well tolerated by the study participants. A larger study is needed to confirm these findings.
More To Read
Why Burnout Happens in Hand Therapy and What We Can Do About It.
Why Burnout Happens in Hand Therapy There are several reasons why burnout can occur, this is especially true for healthcare workers. What We Can Do About It Final Thought:Burnout isn’t a personal failure, it is often a systemic issue. But we do have power over how we respond. As hand therapists, we are experts at…
Early Mobilization After Volar Locking Plate Osteosynthesis of Distal Radius Fractures in Older Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
By: Rachel Reed Sørensen, T. J., Ohrt-Nissen, S., Ardensø, K. V., Laier, G. H., & Mallet, S. K. (2020). Early Mobilization After Volar Locking Plate Osteosynthesis of Distal Radial Fractures in Older Patients-A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of hand surgery, S0363-5023(20)30276-8. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2020.05.009 The Skinny: The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was…
Do you know the secret ingredient to recovering from an injury?
Do you know the secret ingredient to recovering from an injury? I will give you a hint it is 5 letters and begins with the letter S. SLEEP Have you ever asked yourself a question – does sleep help injuries heal? This is for you to share with your patients but also serve as a…
Carpal Tunnel Treatment: Splinting Only vs Splinting & Conservative Treatment
Short-term clinical outcome of orthosis alone vs combination of orthosis, nerve, and tendon gliding exercises and ultrasound therapy for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Sim, Sze En et al. Journal of Hand Therapy, Volume 32, Issue 4, 411 – 416 The Skinny- Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common compression neuropathy. Compression of the…
Sign-up to Get Updates Straight to Your Inbox!
Sign up with us and we will send you regular blog posts on everything hand therapy, notices every time we upload new videos and tutorials, along with handout, protocols, and other useful information.