Clinical Usefulness of Oral Supplementation with Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Curcumin Phytosome, and B-Group Vitamins in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Undergoing Surgical Treatment

Giorgio Pajardi,Veronica Ponti,Paola Bortot,Chiara Novelli

doi:10.1155/2014/891310

Giorgio Pajardi, Veronica Ponti + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/891310

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Abstract

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 (n = 60) served as controls and did not receive any treatment either before or after surgery. Patients in Group B (n = 60) received oral supplementation twice a day for 3 months both before and after surgery (totaling 6 months of supplementation). Patients in Group C (n = 60) 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 P values <0.05). Moreover, patients in Group B had a significantly lower number of positive Phalen's tests at 3 months compared with the other study groups (P < 0.05). 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.

Highlights

Peripheral nerve compression syndromes are common disabling conditions that occur when nerves are compressed through bony, fibrous, osteofibrous, and fibromuscular tunnels, impairing nerve function [1]
There is evidence suggesting that Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients who wake up at night because of pain are less likely to improve over time with treatment [3,4,5]
As night-time symptoms may be a sign of more severe cases of CTS, our data suggest that a combined supplementation approach with alpha-lipoic acid, curcumin phytosome, and B-group vitamins may have some value in reducing postsurgical night discomfort in CTS patients who underwent surgical decompression of the median nerve

Summary

Introduction

Peripheral nerve compression syndromes ( 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]. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy in the upper extremity, with a lifetime risk of approximately 10% [3]. 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]. Common conditions related to secondary CTS include high energy wrist traumas, endocrine disorders (e.g., diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism), pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, anomalous carpal tunnel structures, and occupational factors such as repetitive motion or exposure to vibrating tools [5]. Paresthesia and pain may extend proximal to the wrist in nearly 40% of cases, whereas predominant involvement of the dorsum of the hand has been reported to occur in 11% of the cases [3]

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