Acupuncture has analgesic effects and is used to release pain clinically. Because of the effectiveness and free from side effects, it became a popular treatments for many pain conditions.
Recently a systematic review studied the effect of acupuncture on hand and wrist pain intensity, functional status, and quality of life in adults. Their result has shown that
For cryotherapy-induced pain, 1 trial showed significant pain reduction post treatment.
For rheumatoid arthritis, 1 trial shown significant pain reduction and function improvements post treatment and short-term.
For carpal tunnel syndrome, 1 trial showed significant pain reduction and functional improvements intermediate-term.
For tenosynovitis, 1 trial showed significant pain reduction and function improvements short-term. For poststroke impairments, 1 trial showed significant function improvements post treatment and at short-term.
They conclude that acupuncture may be effective and safe for short-term pain reduction and functional improvement in hand-and-wrist conditions.
References
Kien Trinh et al Med Acupunct. 2022 Feb 1;34(1):34-48.
