Peer-reviewed research
Association between carpal tunnel syndrome and shoulder pain: a case-control study
Vasileios S Akrivos et al., Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), 2025 · DOI 10.1177/17531934241302697
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- A case-control study from the General University Hospital of Larissa, Greece, that compared the frequency of shoulder pain around the scapular spine in people with carpal tunnel syndrome and in a control group.
- How much weight it carries
- Peer-reviewed. A case-control design shows an association between the two conditions, not how common shoulder pain is in the general population. The abstract does not report how the control group was chosen, so treat the contrast as a starting point for a clinician to check.
Facts taken from this source
- In a 2025 case-control study, 63 percent of people with carpal tunnel syndrome reported shoulder pain around the scapular spine, against 5 percent of the control group.
“In those with carpal tunnel syndrome, 63% reported shoulder pain, against 5% in the control group.” (Abstract)