A Simple 15-Minute Procedure Helped Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Avoid Surgery

In carpal tunnel syndrome, the median nerve in the wrist becomes compressed, causing pain, numbness and weakness in the hand. Between 5% and 10% of people experience the condition during their lifetime. The technique, known as hydrodissection, mechanically “frees” the nerve by injecting fluid around it.

The trial involved 63 patients with persistent symptoms who were randomly divided into three equal groups: one received saline hydrodissection, another received saline mixed with a corticosteroid, and the third received a corticosteroid injection alone.

After six months of follow-up, the cross-sectional area of the median nerve had decreased by approximately 43–45% in the hydrodissection groups, compared with only about 15% in patients who received the corticosteroid injection alone. Adding a steroid to the saline did not provide any substantial additional benefit.

“Steroid injections often provide only temporary relief,” one of the study’s authors noted, emphasizing that the initial improvement in patients who received only a steroid quickly wore off. The procedure takes an average of 15 minutes, and patients can return to work as soon as an hour later.

The authors describe hydrodissection as a “safe, minimally invasive technique,” but acknowledge several limitations: the trial was small, follow-up lasted only six months, and larger multicenter studies are needed to confirm the durability of the results.

The research team is now comparing saline with a dextrose solution as the fluid used in the procedure. If the long-term benefits are confirmed, this relatively inexpensive outpatient treatment could spare some patients surgery, which is generally considered for carpal tunnel syndrome when conservative treatments no longer provide adequate relief.