Important to know: Chronic health conditions should be addressed under direct medical supervision of your GP or consultant, and acupuncture would be an adjunct or complement to usual care – we advise that you let you doctor know when you use this approach.

CTS is a common condition (Atroshi et al, 1999), a type of compression neuropathy causing possible tingling, burning or dull sensations and symptoms in the hands. It is caused by the median nerve being compressed as is passes through the wrist(s). Common treatments include splinting, local steroid injections, painkillers, sometimes surgery is required.

A scholarly search of the available research papers on the terms “acupuncture” + “carpal tunnel” yields over 9,000 papers, and narrowing this to “RCT” to identify Randomised Controlled Trials, gives over 1000 results; of which over a third have been carried out since 2017 (Google Scholar). This suggests that acupuncture is being used traditionally and currently in this area, research has been carried out, the pace of which is increasing in recent years, and as such that it has been recognised its potential role is worthy of appraisal in a scientific manner.

Interpreting the research:

When reading health research, it is important to know that Systematic Reviews or Meta Analyses of a large number of high-quality research studies are the very best way to be able to say to what extent a given treatment can address a condition, symptom, or set of symptoms.  The next best level of evidence is the individual Randomised Controlled Study (RCT) which uses a systematic technique to compare two or more groups of patients receiving different treatments (or a treatment against a “control”, or no treatment).  In acupuncture trials, the nature of the control group is of particular interest as it is hard to blind a patient to whether they are having a needle inserted or not, and even more challenging to blind the researcher/team to this.

The means and quality of how research is carried out varies considerably from country to country, and in terms of how an intervention is compared to another intervention (or a control).  Of note is the fact that “sham” acupuncture (where needles are placed in apparently inert locations rather than traditional acupuncture points) is not really an inert process as it has physiological effects, so that comparing sham and “true acupuncture” may therefore not give a clear picture alone; but and form a part of a research body where acupuncture versus no treatment, vs conventional treatment or vs a different approach/modality also form part of the evidence base.

The n= figure (where quoted in research) tells you how many people were participants in the study, and usually the larger a study (when it is of good quality and design), the more likely it is to be reliable and applicable to larger populations. When (statistical) “significance” is discussed in view of studies it has a very particular meaning – it is the confidence in the data (using statistical tests) that tells us how likely a result could have just come about by chance. The lower the possibility of a chance result, the more likely it is due to the intervention in the experiment. When you are reading a trial/study, the “p” is the number telling us of significance, and this must be under 5% (or p less than 0.05) to mean we can say it is a (statistically) “significant” result.

Research and Resources on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Acupuncture:

A number of systematic reviews have been done in this area, including Badia and Santafé, 2020, a Spanish study examining 21 articles and concluding that “acupuncture and electroacupuncture are a therapeutic option for mild to moderate CTS with a medium level of scientific evidence, tending towards a high level, and with a medium level of recommendation.” Wu et al’s systematic review (2020) looked at 10 RCT studies in this area, drawing a similar conclusion for symptom relief. A Korean systematic review to examine reporting quality of 9 RCT’s in this area (Hyun et al, 2020) concurred with Badia and Santafé, that the evidence quality was moderate, and also concluded that traditional point PC7 was the most commonly employed in this area.

Mechanisms of Action

A review article (Kavoussi & Ross, 2007) suggests that the anti-inflammatory actions that have been demonstrated to be brought about by acupuncture may be mediated via activation of the vagus nerve, alongside deactivation of inflammatory macrophages and other proinflammatory cytokines.  The researchers concluded that “The use of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy to conventional medical treatment for a number of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases seems plausible and should be validated by confirming its cholinergicity”. 

Acupuncture can activate mast cells at acupoints, which release histamine, serotonin, adenosine, and other mediators that modulate nerve transmission and inflammation (Li et al, 2022)

Acupuncture stimulates the body to create its own natural painkilling substances, such as Beta Endorphins (β-Endorphin). In studies acupuncture has been shown to stimulate the production of natural painkillers called opioid-like peptides (OLPs), including β-Endorphin: For example, this was shown in an RCT in 90 patients with a range of painful disorders (Petti et al, 1998). The same study showed acupuncture also and enhanced the activity of immune cells (lymphocytes, natural killer cells and monocytes) that help fight infections and diseases (Petti et al, 1998).

Other studies (Zijlstra et al, 2003) have revealed that acupuncture some of the pain modulating and anti-inflammatory effects exhibited in acupuncture may be due to the fact that it has been shown to stimulate certain substances in the body which act as vasodilators, neurotransmitters and painkillers (beta-endorphins, CGRP and substance P) and further stimulate cytokines and nitric oxide, all of which play roles in inflammatory states. 

Zijlstra et al (2003) reviewed the effects and mechanisms of acupuncture in treating various inflammatory diseases and conditions. They proposed the mechanisms of action:

• Acupuncture may release neuropeptides from nerve endings that have vasodilative and anti-inflammatory effects through CGRP.
• Acupuncture may also interact with substance P, which is involved in pain transmission and inflammation.
• Acupuncture may contribute to analgesia by stimulating the release of β-endorphin, which binds to opioid receptors and inhibits pain signals.
• Acupuncture may influence the balance between cell-specific pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-10.

Regarding Your Individual Condition and Symptoms:

Whilst the scientific studies are of great interest to researchers and acupuncturists in terms of comparing protocols, for the patient not versed in research they are less accessible, which is why when we asked “can acupuncture work for my (condition or symptom) we are not able to give a simple yes or no response.  We are able to tell you what experience we have had in our decades of experience in practise, of the types of outcomes we have seen in similar cases, and give you an idea of our level of experience and knowledge in that area, and how this could relate to your own individual situation.  For this, we recommend booking a free telephone consultation where we can answer any questions you have and give a realistic appraisal of what acupuncture may be able to provide.

Resources:

British Acupuncture Council evidence based factsheet about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome including specific research, trials and mechanisms of action for acupuncture in this condition.

References:

Atroshi, I., Gummesson, C., Johnsson, R., Ornstein, E., Ranstam, J. and Rosen, I., 1999. Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in a general population. Jama, 282(2), pp.153-158.

Badia, M. and Santafé, M.M., 2020. Acupuncture and electroacupuncture in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: systematic review. Journal of Invasive Techniques in Physical Therapy Vol, 3(1).

Hyun, J.Y., Shin, J.E., Im, C.J. and Park, J.Y., 2020. A Systematic Review on the Reporting Quality of Acupuncture Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Korean Journal of Acupuncture, 37(3), pp.131-144.

Kavoussi B, Ross BE. The neuroimmune basis of anti-inflammatory acupuncture. Integr Cancer Ther 2007;  6:  251-7.

Li, Y., Yu, Y., Liu, Y. and Yao, W., 2022. Mast cells and acupuncture analgesia. Cells, 11(5), p.860.

Petti, F.., Bangrazi, A., Liguori, A., Reale, G. and Ippoliti, F., 1998. Effects of acupuncture on immune response related to opioid-like peptides. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 18(1), pp.55-63.

Wu, I.X., Lam, V.C., Ho, R.S., Cheung, W.K., Sit, R.W., Chou, L.W., Zhang, Y., Leung, T.H. and Chung, V.C., 2020. Acupuncture and related interventions for carpal tunnel syndrome: systematic review. Clinical rehabilitation, 34(1), pp.34-44.

Zijlstra, F.J., van den Berg-de Lange, I., Huygen, F.J. and Klein, J., 2003. Anti-inflammatory actions of acupuncture. Mediators of inflammation, 12(2), pp.59-69.