A Topical Gel From Flax Seed Oil Compared With Hand Splint in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871162/

ABSTRACT: This study compared the therapeutic effect of flax seed oil topical gel and hand splint in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. This study was a randomized clinical trial. Forty-nine patients, 96 hands, with mild to moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome were divided into 2 groups randomly. One group was treated by topical gel and the other group by hand splint. Intensity of symptoms and function before and after intervention was measured via Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. After intervention, the ANCOVA showed a significant difference between the symptom and function scores of the 2 groups. In both cases, recovery was higher in the gel group (P < .001). The topical use of flax seed oil gel is more effective in the improvement of symptoms and function of patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome as compared with hand splint, and it can be introduced as an effective treatment.

Keywords: Persian medicine, carpal tunnel syndrome, flax seed oil

CONCLUSION: The results showed that for patients with the clinical and electro-diagnostic diagnosis of mild to moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, topical application of flax seed oil gel, twice a day for 3 weeks, was more effective than a hand splint for short-term reduction of symptoms and functional improvement. This method can be introduced as an effective and supportive alternative treatment for patients who are unwilling to use a hand splint. It should be mentioned that further studies are needed for determining the long-term effects of the proposed method.

MY CONCLUSION: Carpal Tunnel: It’s Dermal Origins