The strongest evidence supports postsurgical early active motion protocol s and splinting for various conditions .
Very few studies have examined occupation-based interventions .
Occupational therapy practitioners are key health care providers for people with musculoskeletal disorders of the distal upper extremity .
It is imperative that practitioners underst and the most effective and efficient means for remediating impairments and supporting clients in progressing to independence in purpose ful occupations .
This systematic review provides an up date to a previous review by summarizing articles published between 2006 and July 2014 related to the focused question , What is the evidence for the effect of occupational therapy interventions on functional outcomes for adults with musculoskeletal disorders of the forearm , wrist , and h and ?
Assessment of phonophoresis and iontophoresis in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial
To define the role of phonophoresis and iontophoresis of corticosteroids in conjunction with wrist splint use in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome ( CTS ) compared to wrist splint use alone , 52 CTS subjects were analyzed based on clinical and electrophysiological criteria . A prospect i ve , r and omized controlled trial was carried out to assess symptom severity , motor skills , and h and function according to the Boston Symptom Severity Scale ( BSSS ) , grip strength , and nine-hole peg test ( NHPT ) , respectively , on the initial visit and in the 3rd month after treatment . The patients underwent conservative interventions r and omly as follows : ( 1 ) 3 weeks of phonophoresis with betamethasone in conjunction with wrist splint use ( group I , n : 18 ) or ( 2 ) 3 weeks of iontophoresis with betamethasone in conjunction with wrist splint use ( group II , n : 16 ) or ( 3 ) wrist splint use alone ( control , group III , n : 18 ) . The mean age of the patients was 43.7 ± 8.4 ( range 24–57 ) years . Groups I , II , and III showed a significant and further improvement in BSSS at the 3rd month evaluations compared with baseline ( P < 0.001 , P = 0.001 , P < 0.001 , respectively ) , but no significant change was observed in grip strength or NHPT ( P > 0.05 ) . There was a statistically significant difference between the phonophoresis and control groups after treatment only regarding BSSS , in favor of phonophoresis ( P = 0.012 ) . We recommend the use of wrist splints especially with phonophoresis for relief of symptoms in patients with CTS . Our results demonstrated no superiority among the treatment groups . Further , transdermal steroid treatments are not key determinants of efficacy with respect to motor skills and h and dexterity
The strongest evidence supports postsurgical early active motion protocol s and splinting for various conditions .
Very few studies have examined occupation-based interventions .
Occupational therapy practitioners are key health care providers for people with musculoskeletal disorders of the distal upper extremity .
It is imperative that practitioners underst and the most effective and efficient means for remediating impairments and supporting clients in progressing to independence in purpose ful occupations .
This systematic review provides an up date to a previous review by summarizing articles published between 2006 and July 2014 related to the focused question , What is the evidence for the effect of occupational therapy interventions on functional outcomes for adults with musculoskeletal disorders of the forearm , wrist , and h and ?