Abstract
Ultrasound (US) and electrical stimulation have been widely used in hand therapy to
promote recovery after nerve and tendon injuries. There is support for the use of
low-dosage continuous wave and pulsed US for carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.
Iontophoresis with dexamethasone sodium phosphate can relieve pain in acute elbow
tendonitis, but there is no support for phonophoresis for any tendonitis. Animal model
research supports the use of low-dosage US to improve the mechanical properties of
the Achilles tendon when initiated immediately after tenorrhaphy. There are no studies
available which have examined US applied to tendons in humans after repair. Electrical
stimulation has been extensively studied in animal models after nerve axonotmesis
and neurotmesis with nerve repair, with some support of enhancing recovery. There
is a void in the literature on the use of electrical stimulation for humans after
nerve transection and repair.
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© 2005 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
