NCT02233660

The Role of the Cervical Spine in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Changes in Function, Cervical Range of Motion and Pinch Grip Force After Physical Therapy in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This randomized clinical trial will investigate changes in hand function, active cervical range of motion and pinch grip force after the application of physical therapy in women with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The purpose of this study is to compare changes in function, cervical range of motion and pinch grip force induced after the application of a physical therapy program including manual therapies targeted to those areas related to the median nerve or after endoscopic surgery in women with CTS at medium and long-term follow-up. The hypothesis is that manual therapy is more effective for increasing cervical range of motion and pinch grip force, but similarly effective for improving function, than surgical treatment in women with CTS.

Detailed description

There is some evidence suggesting that CTS is associated with restricted cervical range of motion and deficits in pinch grip force. In fact, restricted cervical range of motion and deficits in pinch grip force seems to be independent of electro-diagnostic findings. These findings would be associated with the proposed "double crush syndrome" theory. However no longitudinal studies have been conducted. Further it has been demonstrated that hand function is associated to deficits in these outcomes. Since previous studies support the use of physical therapy and surgical interventions for the management of function in these patients, the aim of this study is to conduct a randomized clinical trial to determine if changes in hand function are related to changes in active cervical range of motion and pinch grip force after the application of a physical therapy program including manual therapies targeted to those areas related to the median nerve or endoscopic surgery in women with CTS.

Conditions

• Carpal Tunnel Syndromes

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Physical Therapy Group	The physical therapy group will receive 3 treatment sessions of manual therapies including maneuvers targeted to the areas anatomically related to the median nerve (i.e., cervical spine, shoulder, elbow and wrist) of 30min of duration, once per week.
PROCEDURE	Surgical Group	The surgical group will receive a surgical procedure consisting of the decompression and release of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel performed by an experienced surgeon according to standardized protocols.

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-09-01
• Primary completion: 2016-03-01
• Completion: 2016-03-01
• First posted: 2014-09-08
• Last updated: 2016-03-15

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Spain