Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine External Washing Combined with Infrared Therapy on Postoperative Recovery in Patients with Hand Injuries
Abstract：Objective: To investigate the effect of traditional Chinese medicine external washing combined with infrared therapy on postoperative recovery in patients with hand injuries. Methods: A total of 80 patients with hand injuries treated at Kaifeng Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from July 2023 to May 2024 were selected as the study subjects. They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group using a random number table method, with 40 cases in each group. Both groups received microsurgical treatment for hand injuries. The control group received conventional rehabilitation therapy combined with infrared therapy after surgery, while the observation group received additional traditional Chinese medicine external washing on top of the treatment in the control group. The changes in TCM syndrome scores, pain levels, hand swelling degrees, and joint range of motion were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results: After treatment, the scores for symptoms such as mental apathy, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, poor appetite, and forgetfulness in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). At 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after treatment, the VAS scores and the volume difference between the affected hand and the healthy hand in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, while the total active motion (TAM) was higher than that in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of traditional Chinese medicine external washing and infrared therapy has a definite effect on postoperative recovery after microsurgery for hand injuries, which can reduce TCM syndrome scores, alleviate pain, improve swelling, and enhance joint mobility.
Keywords：Hand injuriesTraditional Chinese medicine external washingInfrared therapyPain levelTCM syndrome scoreJoint range of motion
Publication Date：2025-04-30
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-25(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 41-44 )