In pregnant females with carpal tunnel syndrome, the combination of high-intensity laser therapy with traditional physical therapy is safe, valuable, and results in better outcomes.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess efficacy of using high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) plus physical therapy to decrease motor and sensory nerve distal latency, pain, and elevate grip strength in expectant females with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

In this single-blind study, the allocation of 54 pregnant females with CTS into 2 arms was done randomly. The control arm (n = 27) got simply physical therapy, which included tendon and nerve gliding exercises and the utilization of an orthotic device, whereas the patients in the HILT arm (n = 27) were given both HILT and traditional physical therapy. Notably, 3 times per week for five weeks, participants were given the interventions. Data collection was done prior to and post-therapy, utilizing a handheld dynamometer, electromyography, and an 11-point numerical pain rating scale.

Following the intervention, subjects from both arms showed a substantial betterment in their handgrip strength, numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain, sensory nerve distal latency, and median nerve motor nerve distal latency. When contrasted to control arm, individuals treated with laser therapy  demonstrated greater gains in lowering pain (mean difference [MD] = -3.11 [-4.1 to 2.1]) and sensory nerve distal latency (MD = -0.3 [-0.5 to -0.1]).

For CTS in expectant women, HILT coupled with a typical physical therapy program is superior to the physical therapy program alone in terms of reducing median nerve sensory distal latency and pain intensity.