Effects of local anesthetics (neural therapy) on pain and hand functions
in patients with De Quervain tenosynovitis: A prospective randomized
controlled study
Abstract
Objective: De Quervain tenosynovitis is the most common cause of lateral
wrist pain. The diagnosis can be made with the Finkelstein test when
pain is provoked with wrist ulnar deviation. Conservative treatment
including rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication and physical
therapy is applied first, then there may be a need for corticosteroid
injections, and in resistant cases, surgery. The aim of this study was
to evaluate the effectiveness of neural therapy (NT) on pain and hand
functions in patients with De Quervain tenosynovitis. Methods: A total
of 36 patients admitted between May 2019 and March 2020 were randomly
assigned to neural therapy (NT) and control groups. Hand rest and thumb
spica splint were applied to all the patients, and NT interventions to
the NT group only. A visual analog scale (VAS) and the Duruöz Hand index
(DHI) were used to measure pain and functionality at baseline, then at 1
and 12 months after the end of the treatment. Results: The NT and
control groups both showed improvements in VAS and DHI scores at 1 and
12 months compared to baseline. The VAS scores were significantly lower
at both 1 and 12 months compared to baseline in the NT group. The DHI
scores were lower in the NT group at 1 month, and at 12 months there was
no significant difference between the two groups. No adverse effects
were seen in any patient. Conclusion: NT seems to be effective in
reducing pain and improving hand functions in patients with De Quervain
tenosynovitis.