Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral nerve entrapment syndrome worldwide. Objective The current work aimed at determining the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on different severities of carpal tunnel syndrome. Subjects and methods Sixty patients with unilateral carpal tunnel syndrome were participated in this study. They were divided into three equal groups according to severity (mild, moderate, and severe). All patients received shock wave therapy one session per week, for 6 weeks. Nerve conduction studies (NCs) were done for the median nerve. Pinch dynamometer was used to measure the degree of lateral pinch power, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to assess degree of pain and Ultrasonography analysis measured cross-sectional area (CSA) of median nerve for all patients at the beginning and at the end of the study. Results There was significant improvement (P < 0.05) in sensory conduction parameters, CSA, lateral pinch power, and VAS after shock wave therapy in all groups. Also, there was significant improvement in motor latency, motor, and sensory amplitudes after shock wave therapy in mild and moderate groups only (P < 0.05). In all group samples, results revealed a highly significant correlations (p < 0.001) between peak sensory latency (PSL) with VAS, CSA with motor latency (ML), CSA with PSL, CSA with VAS, CSA with lateral pinch, and ML with lateral pinch. Conclusion It is recommended to use ESWT as a conservative treatment in patients with different severities of CTS, except patients with severe motor affection. Trial registration PACTR201804003293116. Registered on 26 April 2018 as retrospective registration in the pan African clinical trial registry (www.pactr.org).

Background: Pathological conditions of the Shoulder joint are very common as the shoulder is the most freely movable joint in the body (and hence the most unstable). These conditions can lead to pain and disability that affect individuals socially and economically. Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the prevalence and characteristics of shoulder pathologies in two main hospitals in two Egyptian governorates as up to researchers’ knowledge, no previous epidemiological studies of shoulder conditions attending orthopedic physical therapy outpatient clinics have been carried out in Egypt, so the current study  provides valuable information about diseases’ burden for researchers and healthcare policy makers, thus assisting in disease prevention , identifying health economic models and establishing guidelines. Methodology: A hospital- based record study was made for 1633 patients, 101 patients of them were suffering from shoulder pathologies, data were collected from patients’ referral records to orthopedic physical therapy outpatient clinics in two hospitals (Kasr Aini educational hospital) (KA) in Cairo and (Benha educational hospital) in Qalubiya – Egypt, that are reviewed from the first of January 2019 to 31 December 2019. Demographic characteristics including (gender, affected side) and different types of pathologies were described.