From a recent study, it was revealed that the neuropathic pain is quite common in patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Functional deficits and symptom severity, as well as somatosensory dysfunction are more prominent in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome with the existence and rising severity of neuropathic pain.

This study was done to find the alterations in somatosensory function as well as emotional wellbeing, particular to the presence and severity of neuropathic pain.

In this study, 108 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome participated, who were subdivided by the DN4 questionnaire into those without and with neuropathic pain. The second group was then sub-grouped into mild and moderate/severe neuropathic pain using a visual analogue scale.Thirty-two patients separated as healthy controls.

All participants experienced a clinical inspection, electrodiagnostic testing (EDT), skin biopsy and quantitative sensory testing (QST) to conclude structural integrity of intraepidermal and dermal nerve fibers. Participants also did questionnaires assessing functional deficits, symptom severity, pain distribution, emotional wellbeing and sleep quality. 

The general occurrence of neuropathic pain in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome was 80%. 63% of them had mild neuropathic pain. Functional insufficiency and symptom severity, as well as somatosensory dysfunction were more distinct with the occurrence and growing severity of neuropathic pain. No dissimilarity was recognized amongst the patient groups for EDT and on biopsies.

The severity of neuropathic pain was accompanied by a more pronounced deficiency in sleep quality and emotional wellbeing. Interestingly, an extraterritorial increase of symptoms was further common in patients with moderate/severe neuropathic pain, demonstrating the occurrence of central mechanisms.

Neuropathic pain is common in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, and its severity is connected to the compromise of emotional wellbeing and level of somatosensory dysfunction.