Effectiveness and Safety of Ultrasound-Guided Pharmacopuncture for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Protocol for A Multicenter, Randomized, Assessor-Blinded, Waiting-List-Controlled Clinical Trial

Introduction

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common compressive neuropathy caused by entrapment of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. Although conventional treatments such as injections and surgery are used, Korean medicine interventions, including pharmacopuncture, are also used in clinical practice. However, clinical evidence from randomized controlled trials of pharmacopuncture for CTS remains limited. Ultrasound-guided pharmacopuncture may improve procedural precision by enabling real-time identification of the median nerve and surrounding anatomical structures.