Clinical trial NCT03061149: The Effectiveness of Physical Therapy Modalities in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Official title: The Effects of Nerve and Tendon Gliding Exercises Combined With Low-level Laser or Ultrasound Therapy in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Lead sponsor: Poznan University of Medical Sciences
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2017-02-23
Enrollment: 70
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 35
Maximum age (years): 60
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Carpal tunnel syndrome is considered to be the most common entrapment neuropathy. Conservative treatment is recommended in the mild and moderate stage of CTS. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapy modalities in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Detailed description: Conservative treatment is recommended in the mild and moderate stage of CTS and should involve splinting, steroid injections, oral steroids and ultrasounds .

However, the results of some research studies have showed the beneficial effect of photobiomodulation as well as nerve and tendon gliding exercises in non-operative treatment .

Patients were divided into two groups. The one group received low-level laser therapy (LLLT); the other group underwent ultrasound treatment. Additionally, nerve and gliding exercises were administered in both groups.

The purpose of this trial is to assess the therapeutic efficacy of ultrasound treatment and low-level laser therapy combined with nerve and tendon gliding exercises and to compare the two regimens.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* diagnosis of the mild or moderate stage of CTS, symptom duration for more than three months and general good health

Exclusion Criteria:

* advanced CTS, secondary CTS, any previous surgery in the upper limb, steroid injections and any physical therapy treatment within six months prior to the study, pregnancy, cervical radiculopathy, peripheral polyneuropathy or other neurological conditions

Primary outcomes:
measure: The measurement of hand grip strength in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome after physical therapy
timeFrame: 14 days
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Poznan
country: Poland
facility: Poznan University of Medical Sciences
Study officials:
affiliation: Poznan University of Medical Sciences
name: Małgorzata Zgorzalewicz-Stachowiak, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: Shooshtari SM, Badiee V, Taghizadeh SH, Nematollahi AH, Amanollahi AH, Grami MT. The effects of low level laser in clinical outcome and neurophysiological results of carpal tunnel syndrome. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 2008 Jun-Jul;48(5):229-31.
citation: Rozmaryn LM, Dovelle S, Rothman ER, Gorman K, Olvey KM, Bartko JJ. Nerve and tendon gliding exercises and the conservative management of carpal tunnel syndrome. J Hand Ther. 1998 Jul-Sep;11(3):171-9. doi: 10.1016/s0894-1130(98)80035-5.
citation: Ebenbichler GR, Resch KL, Nicolakis P, Wiesinger GF, Uhl F, Ghanem AH, Fialka V. Ultrasound treatment for treating the carpal tunnel syndrome: randomised "sham" controlled trial. BMJ. 1998 Mar 7;316(7133):731-5. doi: 10.1136/bmj.316.7133.731.
citation: Totten PA, Hunter JM. Therapeutic techniques to enhance nerve gliding in thoracic outlet syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome. Hand Clin. 1991 Aug;7(3):505-20.
citation: Page MJ, O'Connor D, Pitt V, Massy-Westropp N. Therapeutic ultrasound for carpal tunnel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Mar 28;2013(3):CD009601. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009601.pub2.
citation: Horng YS, Hsieh SF, Tu YK, Lin MC, Horng YS, Wang JD. The comparative effectiveness of tendon and nerve gliding exercises in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized trial. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2011 Jun;90(6):435-42. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e318214eaaf.