Twenty-seven patients (46 hands) were admitted in this study. Patients were randomly divided three groups. The first group was ultrasound group, the second group was PH group and the third group was placebo US group. Continuous ultrasound with a frequency of 1 MHz, an intensity of 1.0 W/cm2 was used in the US and the PH groups. PH group received 0,1% dexamethasone. Placebo group received a frequency of 0 MHz, an intensity of 0 W/cm² ultrasound. Treatments were administered for 5 days a week, a total of 10 sessions. All patients also wore night splints during treatment. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Boston Symptom Severity Scale, Functional Capacity Scale, grip strength and electroneurophysiological evaluations were compared before the treatment, after the treatment and three months later.
In this placebo-controlled, randomized, prospective study, the efficacy of ultrasonography (US) and steroid phonophoresis (PH) treatments was evaluated in patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.