Successful management of repetitive stress injury or carpal tunnel
syndrome by low level laser
E. Wong G LEE J. Zu CHERMAN and D. P. MASON
Western Heart Institute and St. Mary's Spine Center St. Mary's
Medical Center. San Francisco. CA. USA and Head and Neck Pain Center, Honolulu
HL. USA
Abstract. Female office workers with desk jobs who are incapacitated by pain
and tingling in the hands and fingers are often diagnosed by physicians as
"repetitive stress injury'' (RSI) or "carpal tunnel syndrome'' (CTS).
These patients usually have poor posture with their head and neck stooped
forward and shoulders rounded; upon palpation. they have pain and tenderness at
the spinous processes C5 - T1 and the medial angle of the scapula. In 35 such
patients we focused the treatment primarily at the posterior neck area and not
the wrists and hands. A low level laser ( 100 mW) was used and directed at the
tips of the spinous processes C5 - Tl. The laser rapidly alleviated the pain and
tingling in the arms, hands and fingers. and diminished tenderness at the
involved spinous processes. Thereby, it has become apparent that many patients
labeled as having RSI or CTS have predominantly cervical radicular dysfunction
resulting in pain to the upper extremities which can be managed by low level
laser. Successful long-term management involves treating the soft tissue lesions
in the neck combined with correcting the abnormal head, neck and shoulder
posture by taping. cervical collars, and clavicle harnesses as well as improved
work ergonomics.
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- Manuscript received: July, 1997
- Accepted for publication: September, 1997
- LASER THERAPY, 1997:9: 131- 136
- 09/97 Rep. US $ 10-12-14
- © 1997 by LT Publishers, U.K., Ltd
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