Clinical Usefulness of Oral Supplementation with Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Curcumin Phytosome, and B-Group Vitamins in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Undergoing Surgical Treatment
We investigated the clinical usefulness of oral supplementation with a combination product containing alpha-lipoic acid, curcumin phytosome, and B-group vitamins in 180 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), scheduled to undergo surgical decompression of the median nerve. Patients in Group A ( ) served as controls and did not receive any treatment either before or after surgery. Patients in Group B ( ) received oral supplementation twice a day for 3 months both before and after surgery (totaling 6 months of supplementation). Patients in Group C ( ) received oral supplementation twice a day for 3 months before surgery only. Patients in Group B showed significantly lower nocturnal symptoms scores compared with Group A subjects at both 40 days and 3 months after surgery (both values ). Moreover, patients in Group B had a significantly lower number of positive Phalen’s tests at 3 months compared with the other study groups ( ). We conclude that oral supplementation with alpha-lipoic acid, curcumin phytosome, and B-group vitamins twice a day both before and after surgery is safe and effective in CTS patients scheduled to undergo surgical decompression of the median nerve. 1. Introduction Peripheral nerve compression syndromes (also known as tunnel syndromes or entrapment neuropathies) are common disabling conditions that occur when nerves are compressed through bony, fibrous, osteofibrous, and fibromuscular tunnels, impairing nerve function [1]. The economic and social costs of peripheral nerve compression syndromes are high due to lost working days, change of occupation, and the need for surgical intervention [2]. From a clinical standpoint, patients with carpal tunnel syndromes can present with motor, sensory, or autonomic findings, although they most show motor and sensory complaints [1, 2]. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy in the upper extremity, with a lifetime risk of approximately 10% [3]. CTS is caused by the compression of the median nerve, which temporarily causes conduction blocks within large myelinated nerve fibers, along with the blockage of capillary blood flow to the median nerve through the swelling of the ensheathing synovial tissue of the tendons. The primary symptoms of classic CTS involve numbness and tingling with or without pain in at least two of the median nerve innervated fingers [3]. Symptoms are often aggravated during sleep and in daytime caused by static or repetitive hand function. The vast majority of cases of CTS are either idiopathic or spontaneous, presenting bilateral symptoms in
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