Summary
Gabapentin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Gabapentin to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: 7 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT04025203). It plans or enrolled 196 participants. Registration activity spans 2003 to 2025. The literature layer holds 7 publications for this pair: 2 Cochrane reviews and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2008 to 2025. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ranks 50 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Mild CTS: spontaneous resolution in 30-40% within 12 months without treatment; moderate-severe: <5% spontaneous resolution; pregnancy-related CTS resolves in 80% post-delivery.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 70.0 (trials 30.0, literature 20.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 8 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 7 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 7 (5 clinical trial publications, 2 Cochrane reviews) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | modulator |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | CACNA1C |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT04285281 | Oral Gabapentin and Median Nerve Mobilization in the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 2020 | completed | Phase 4 | 126 |
| NCT04025203 | Pain Reduction and Changes in Upper Limb Function Produced by Different Treatments in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 2019 | completed | Phase 4 | 196 |
| NCT06781489 | Pain Reduction Caused by the Combined Treatment of Physiotherapy, Oral Gabapentin and Oral Ibuprofen Arginine. 2025 | completed | Phase 4 | 129 |
| NCT00904202 | A Study Of Lidocaine Patch 5% Alone, Gabapentin Alone, And Lidocaine Patch 5% And Gabapentin In Combination For The Relief Of Pain In Patients With Diverse Peripheral Neuropathic Pain Conditions 2003 | completed | Phase 4 | 62 |
| NCT00137735 | Gabapentin for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 2003 | completed | Phase 3 | 150 |
| NCT01632215 | Preoperative Gabapentine for Carpal Tunnel 2010 | completed | Phase 3 | 40 |
| NCT05577676 | Hydrodissection Between Normal Saline and a Combination of Triamcinolone Acetonide, Normal Saline, and Lidocaine in CTS 2022 | completed | Not applicable | 62 |
| NCT05584839 | Statistically Analysis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosis 2023 | status unknown | Not applicable | 40 |
Published literature
- Cochrane review Efficacy and Safety of Gabapentinoids in the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisRaatikainen S, Jaatinen K, Karjalainen T et al. · The journal of hand surgery Asian-Pacific volume · 2025 · PMID 39963092
- Cochrane review Analgesic Efficacy of Gabapentin in Patients Undergoing Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled TrialsAlotaibi MN, Alasmari OY, Elshaer OE et al. · Cureus · 2025 · PMID 39844878
- Clinical trial publication Efficacy of Preemptive Analgesia on Tourniquet and Postoperative Pain Relief in Open Carpal Tunnel Release: A Prospective Randomized Control TrialVilai P, Dhanachanvisith N, Kongmalai P · The Journal of hand surgery · 2023 · PMID 35256225
- Clinical trial publication Effect of preoperative gabapentin on pain intensity and development of chronic pain after carpal tunnel syndrome surgical treatment in women: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studySadatsune EJ, Leal Pda C, Cossetti RJ et al. · Sao Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina · 2016 · PMID 27007800
- Clinical trial publication Gabapentin for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized controlled trialHui AC, Wong SM, Leung HW et al. · European journal of neurology · 2011 · PMID 21143704
- Clinical trial publication The efficacy and safety of gabapentin in carpal tunnel patients: open label trialErdemoglu AK · Neurology India · 2009 · PMID 19587471
- Clinical trial publication Assessment of the efficacy of gabapentin in carpal tunnel syndromeDuman I, Aydemir K, Ozgul A et al. · Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases · 2008 · PMID 18525439
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: modulator.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CACNA1C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gabapentin approved for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Gabapentin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Gabapentin in clinical trials for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Gabapentin to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: 7 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT04025203). It plans or enrolled 196 participants. Registration activity spans 2003 to 2025.
What does the evidence show for Gabapentin in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Gabapentin has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CACNA1C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-06. Page built 2026-10-07.