Carpal Tunnel Surgery or Steroid Injections: Which is More Effective?

With regard to long-term benefit, surgery may be a better treatment option than corticosteroid injections for carpal tunnel syndrome. According to research presented this week at the 2007 American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, researchers assessed long-term outcomes of surgery and corticosteroid injections for carpal tunnel syndrome in an extension of a study that compared the two treatments. After an average follow-up of 5.9 years, nearly 42 percent of study participants who received local corticosteroid injections needed additional treatment. Of study participants who had carpal tunnel surgery, only 11.6 percent needed additional treatment.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful progressive condition that occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. It can begin suddenly or gradually and can be associated with other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

• Guide to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Step-by-Step
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Risk Factors

At 1-year follow-up, corticosteroid injections and decompression surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome are equally effective. Researchers concluded that in the long-term, surgery is deemed more effective than injection even though more than 50 percent of patients receiving injection will not need additional treatment during follow-up.

More Related Resources:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Screening Quiz
• Test Your Knowledge: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Prevention vs. Surgery
• When are Steroid Injections Indicated for Arthritis Treatment?

_{Photo by Bill Crawford (iStockphoto)}