[Evaluation of motor and sensory neuroconduction of the median nerve in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome treated with non-coherent light emitted by gallium arsenic diodes].

INTRODUCTION: The treatment selection in the carpal tunnel syndrome according to the damage of the median nerve is important and all of these have adverse effects. A good alternative without undesired reactions is irradiation of the carpal tunnel with not coherent light between 920 and 940 nm emitted by gallium arsenide diodes, resembling the physic and therapeutic laser effects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six female patients with idiopathic middle carpal tunnel syndrome were irradiated 15 minutes daily during three weeks. The median nerve motor and sensitive neuroconduction was studied before and immediately after the treatment.

RESULTS: The abnormal neuroconduction variables (latency, amplitude and velocity conduction) did not modify when treatment concluded, in spite of all the patients reported disappearance of pain and numbness in damaged hands.

CONCLUSIONS: Not coherent light does not change the fibers functional state explored by conventional neuroconductions techniques. It remains to know if this light produces fine fibers improvement.