The comparison of effectiveness of low-level laser and extracorporeal shockwave in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

The comparison of effectiveness of routine treatment, low-level laser therapy, and Extracorporeal shockwave on pain, function, elecrophysiologic and sonography parameters in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

Randomized, controlled, three arm, and superiority trial. Outcome assessor and the person who will perform statistical analysis are blinded.

Biomechanic laboratory of physiotherapy of Faculty of Rehabilitation of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

The patients will be included in this study if they have carpal tunnel syndrome, and age between 20 and 60. Exclusion criteria are as follows: History of fracture and dislocation in wrist and hand complex during the last 3 months, history of surgery in wrist and hand complex during the last 6 months, having cervical radiculopathy and thoracic outlet syndrome, pregnancy, receiving coricosteriod injection and physiotherapy treatment during the last 3 months, neurological and systemic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson, Multiple Sclerosis

Those patients who will meet the study inclusion criteria will be allocated randomly into 3 groups: Control group: The control group will receive routine treatments including mobilization, ultrasound, stretching techniques, hot pack, and TENS five sessions per week for two weeks. Low-level laser therapy group: This group will receive Low-level laser on carpal tunnel group five sessions per week for two weeks Extracorporeal shockwave group : This group will receive Extracorporeal shockwave two sessions per week for two weeks

Primary : Pain, function, grip and pinch power Secondary : median NCV, CSA of median nerve, amplitude of median sensory nerve, amplitude of median motor nerve, latency of median sensory nerve, latency of median motor nerve,

Those patients who will meet the study inclusion criteria will be allocated randomly into 3 groups: the control group (routine conservative treatment group), low-level laser therapy group, and extracorporeal shockwave group . A block balanced randomization (1:1:1) with a block size of 6 will be used for random allocation. A random allocation will be performed using the website of www.randomization.com. To conceal the sequence of the random allocation, numbered closed envelopes containing A, B, C groups will be used. Group A will receive the routine conservative treatment, group B will receive low-level laser therapy, and Group C will receive extracorporeal shockwave.

In the present study, those who will assess the outcomes and will perform statistical analysis are blinded while the therapist and participants are not blinded. To blind outcome assessor and the person who will perform statistical analysis : no information will be given about type of groups.

The results of the present study will be shared in more than one articles and thesis format

After the end of sampling and statistical analysis, the results will be available as more than one article and thesis.

Academic researchers, physiotherapists

For clinical using, systematic review and meta-analysis

The results will be available as article and thesis.

After the end of sampling and statistical analysis, the results will be available as articles and thesis.

The researchers plan to publish the results of this study in more than one article.