Botox may Beat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- People suffering from the painful wrist condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) might one day find relief from a treatment more famous for easing the signs of aging.

Botulinum toxin type A -- more commonly known as Botox -- showed promise in a Taiwanese study involving five middle-aged women with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome generally develops in people who perform repetitive motions of the wrist in their work, such as typing on a computer keyboard or operating factory equipment. Botox is commonly used to paralyze facial muscles to decrease the appearance of wrinkles.

Among the women treated with the injections, researchers report three experienced a resolution of painful symptoms, one showed no change, and one reported a worsening of the condition. Follow up over three months indicated a trend towards improved pain scores. The treatment was deemed safe and well tolerated by the participants.

The researchers report these results show Botox could one day become an effective treatment for CTS and call for a larger, placebo-controlled study to further investigate the famous poison for this new use.

The treatment would be welcome relief for the estimated 8 percent of the population suffering from this disorder.

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SOURCE: Clinical Drug Investigation, 2006;26:511-515