Brain Plasticity in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Its Response to Acupuncture

Inclusion Criteria

• •1. Male and female adults aged 20-60.
• •2. History
• •* Pain and/or paresthesia in median nerve distribution (i.e., numbness in some combination of digit 1, 2, 3, and the radial part of digit 4)
• •* Nocturnal pain and/or paresthesia in median nerve distribution
• •* Symptoms (a and b) greater than 3 months in duration
• •3. Physical Exam with two of the following three findings:
• •* Phalen's and Durkin's sign (positive with paresthesia in at least 1 of 3 radial digits)
• •* Abnormal grip strength (greater than 2 S.D. compared to uninvolved side using an isometric hand grip device)
• •4. Nerve conduction findings consistent with mild to severe CTS:
• •Mild CTS: Delayed distal latency of the sensory nerve conductions across the wrist (\> 3.7milliseconds and/or \> than 0.5 milliseconds compared to the ulnar sensory conduction) with normal motor conductions
• •Moderate CTS: Delayed distal latency of the sensory nerve conductions across the wrist as stated above with delayed distal latency of the motor conductions across the wrist (\> 4.2 milliseconds).
• •Severe CTS: Delayed distal latency of the sensory nerve conductions across the wrist as stated above with greater than 50% loss of motor amplitudes (relative to unaffected side and/or normative range).