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Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Versus Electroacupuncture for Mild-to-Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Sponsor: University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City
Summary
This study compared thread-embedding acupuncture with electroacupuncture for adults with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome confirmed by electrodiagnosis. Eighty participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either thread-embedding acupuncture or electroacupuncture. Both groups also received standard care, including lifestyle modification, nocturnal wrist splinting, nerve and tendon gliding exercises, and paracetamol as needed. Thread-embedding acupuncture was administered twice over two weeks, whereas electroacupuncture was administered 10 times over the same period. Participants were assessed at baseline, week 2, and week 4. The primary outcome was the change in paresthesia intensity from baseline to week 4, measured using a 100-mm visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes included pain intensity, symptom severity, functional status, paracetamol use, and adverse events.
Official title: Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Versus Electroacupuncture for Mild-to-Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: An Assessor-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
80
Start Date
2024-10-21
Completion Date
2025-05-26
Last Updated
2026-08-27
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Thread-Embedding Acupuncture
Thread-embedding acupuncture was administered twice over two weeks, at baseline and week 1. Sterile polydioxanone thread-embedding needles were inserted at PC4, PC6, PC7, PC8, LI4, LI5, LU10, LU6, HT7, and TE5. The device consisted of a sterile 31-G stainless-steel cannula with a 30-mm needle shaft and a 30-mm polydioxanone thread folded in half, corresponding to an embedded thread length of approximately 15 mm. The thread was placed within the muscle layer and left in situ after withdrawal of the needle.
Electroacupuncture
Electroacupuncture was administered once daily, five times per week for two weeks, for a total of 10 sessions. Sterile disposable needles were inserted at PC4, PC6, PC7, PC8, LI4, LI5, LU10, LU6, HT7, and TE5. Continuous biphasic rectangular pulses with alternating frequencies of 2/100 Hz every 3 seconds and a pulse width of 0.2 ms were delivered for 20 minutes. Stimulation intensity was adjusted within 2-5 mA according to participant tolerance.
Standard Care
Both treatment groups received standard care throughout the four-week study period, including lifestyle modification to avoid wrist flexion and strain, nocturnal wrist splinting, daily nerve and tendon gliding exercises, and paracetamol 500 mg as needed for intolerable pain with a minimum four-hour interval between doses.
Locations (1)
University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City - Campus 3
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam