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 ?
A manual therapy intervention improves symptoms in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a pilot study
In carpal tunnel syndrome ( CTS ) , manual therapy interventions ( MTI ) reduce tissue adhesion and increase wrist mobility . We evaluated the efficacy of a MTI in relieving CTS signs and symptoms . Twenty-two CTS patients ( pts ) ( 41 h and s ) were treated with a MTI , consisting in 6 treatments ( 2/week for 3 weeks ) of soft tissues of wrist and h and s and of carpal bones . Pts were assessed for h and sensitivity , paresthesia , h and strength , h and and forearm pain , night awakening ; Phalen test , thenar eminence hypotrophy and Boston Carpal Tunnel Question naire ( BCTQ ) Symptom Severity Scale ( SSS ) and Functional Status Scale ( FSS ) . Median nerve was studied by sensory nerve conduction velocity ( SNCV ) and distal motor latency ( DML ) . CTS was scored as minimal , mild , medium , severe and extreme . We considered as control group the same pts assessed before treatment : at baseline ( T0a ) and after 12 weeks ( T0b ) . Pts were evaluated at the end of treatment ( T1 ) and after 24-week ( T2 ) follow-up . At T0b , versus T0a , forearm pain and Phalen test positivity were increased and h and strength reduced ( p < 0.05 ) . BCTQ – SSS and BCTQ – FSS scores improved at T1 versus T0b ( p < 0.05 ) with the amelioration maintained at T2 . At T1 , the number of pts with paresthesia , night awakening , hypoesthesia , Phalen test , h and strength reduction and h and sensitivity was reduced with the lacking of symptoms maintained at T2 ( p < 0.05 ) . No changes in SNCV , DML and CTS scoring were shown . MTI improved CTS signs and symptoms , with benefits maintained at follow-up . Thus , it may be valid as a conservative therapy
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 ?