A Case Report of Changes in Median Nerve Thickness Observed During Acupotomy Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Focusing on Musculoskeletal Acupoint Ultrasonography

Abstract

Introduction:The main symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are pain, numbness, and paresthesia in the thumb and second and third fingers along the area innervated by the median nerve. In this study, we observed and reported changes in median nerve thickness through ultrasound after acupotomy treatment. Methods: One patient who received acupotomy treatment for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome from June 29, 2022 to August 20, 2022. Results: The patient's symptoms were similar until the end of treatment, but on ultrasound images, the thickness of the median nerve in the distal carpal tunnel decreased from 0.4 cm on June 29, when the patient first visited the hospital, to 0.33 cm on July 16. During the subsequent 4 treatments, all of them remained constant at 0.28 cm, resulting in a final decrease of 42%. Conclusion: Improvement of median nerve thickness was observed after applying acupotomy treatment for CTS.

Protocol for Ultrasound-Guided Acupotomy Procedure

“…따라서 시술의 정밀성을 확보하기 위한 시각화된 침도요법으 로의 발전방향은 불가피하게 되었으며 이것의 한 방법으로 초음 파 유도하 침도술이 부각되고 있다 13) [15][16][17] . 최근 침 도시술의 안전성과 정확성을 높이기 위하여 시술 전 진단 및 시술과정에 초음파 유도의 응용이 증가하고 있고 국내외에서 연구 또한 활발히 진행되고 있다 8,9,[17][18][19] .…”