Does Taking an Alpha-lipoic for 40 days after Carpal Tunnel Release decrease the likelihood of developing Pillar Pain?
Filed under Uncategorized
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
Distal radius fracture types seen in the hand therapy clinic
Distal radius fractures are one of the most common injuries seen in hand therapy. Several different distal radius fracture classification systems have been developed, and this blog post will focus on the more common types of distal radius fractures and their classification. Extra-articular fractures are either nondisplaced or displaced fractures. These fractures occur outside…
Read More
7 Tips to Help your Patients Manage Hand Osteoarthritis
Introduction Osteoarthritis in the hands can be frustrating and debilitating. As a form of degenerative joint disease, it causes stiffness, pain, swelling, and reduced grip strength—making daily tasks like writing, opening jars, and typing feel exhausting. Fortunately, there’s a proven holistic approach centered on hand therapy for arthritic hands. This includes tailored exercises, targeted splinting,…
Read More
Dorsal Wrist Pain?
Incorporating Emerging Evidence into Clinical Practice for Patients Experiencing Dorsal Wrist Pain During Weight-Bearing Activities By: Brittany Day Supporting Evidence A randomized control study recently published in the Journal of Hand Therapy found rigid carpal stabilizing taping (CST) to significantly increase passive range of motion, active range of motion, and decrease pain in patients experiencing…
Read More
Our Favorite Mallet Finger Splints
By: Josh MacDonald Fabricating a custom splint for a mallet finger injury is challenging. Fingers are tiny and they have small tolerances for errors and adjustments with custom splints. Making a splint for a mallet finger injury is probably the hardest type of finger splint for a therapist to make. Treatment recommendations vary, with some…
Read More
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.