Investigation of the Effectiveness of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy and Kinesiotaping in Individuals With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Background: The aim of this study is to compare the clinical and electrophysiological effects of different treatment protocols in individuals diagnosed with CTS. Materials and Method: The study included 54 individuals diagnosed with mild to moderate CTS and randomly divided into three groups. The control group received only wrist splinting and nerve-tendon gliding exercises (NTGEs). The ESWT group received extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in addition to splinting and NTGEs. The ESWT+Taping group received kinesiotaping (KT) in addition to splinting, NTGEs and ESWT. Pain was assessed using the VAS, hand grip strength was assessed using a hand dynamometer, symptom severity and functional status were assessed using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, and electrophysiological data were assessed using median nerve conduction measurements. Results: Significant improvements were observed in all three groups. However, the ESWT+Taping group demonstrated significantly greater improvement across all outcome measures compared to the other groups ( P <0.05). Conclusion: The addition of KT to splinting, NTGEs, and ESWT enhances symptomatic, functional, and electrophysiological recovery. These findings support the use of multimodal treatment strategies in CTS rehabilitation. Clinical trial registration: The study was registered at the Clinical Trial Registry (NCT06981715).