Comparison of the effects of high power and low power laser therapy on residual anesthesia in fingers of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

Introduction: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), one of the most common neuropathic disorders, refers to a condition in which the median nerve is compressed within a tunnel in the wrist known as the carpal tunnel. One of the methods with proven short-term effects is high-power laser therapy. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of adding high-power laser therapy for those patients experiencing a residual numbness level between 1 to 3, according to a self-reported numbness (SRN) measured on a 100 mm Visual Analog Scale, and whose symptoms have not completely resolved with conventional methods. Materials and Methods: A total of 28 CTS patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into two groups (n=14). The first group continued three sessions of the conventional treatment protocol (TENS, ultrasound, exercise, hot pack, and low-level laser therapy), while the second group received high-power laser therapy instead of low-level laser therapy. The SRN scale was assessed before treatment and after three sessions. Results: The analysis of the pre- and post-treatment findings showed that the numbness scale significantly improved only in the high-power laser group (P<0.01), and these changes were significant compared to the low-level laser group as well. Conclusion: The results indicate that the use of high-power laser therapy significantly improves residual symptoms in CTS; however, further studies are needed for clinical decision-making. Keywords: High-power laser, High-intensity laser, Low- power laser, Low-intensity laser, Carpal tunnel syndrome

Comparison of the effects of high power and low power laser therapy on residual anesthesia in fingers of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome Keywords:

High-power laser , High-intensity laser , Low- power laser , Low-intensity laser , Carpal tunnel syndrome