NCT07294157

Comparison of Rest Splints vs High-Intensity Laser Therapy in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Comparison of the Effects of Rest Splints and High-Intensity Laser Therapy on Pain, Function, Nerve Conduction Studies, and Grip Strength in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 78 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of rest splints and high-intensity laser therapy(HILT) added to physical therapy programs for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome in terms of pain, function, nerve conduction studies, and grip strength.

Detailed description

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment nerve compression, causing numbness and tingling in the hand, atrophy and muscle weakness in advanced stages. Any condition that increases the volume of the carpal tunnel and narrows the diameter of the tunnel can increase the compression of the median nerve under the transverse carpal ligament and cause symptoms. The use of a wrist splint or wrist brace is a common method of non-surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. The wrist splint is designed to allow rotation and supination, while eliminating the possibility of extension, flexion and radial-ulnar deviation.High-intensity laser therapy is used to provide symptomatic relief and reduce pain-related inflammation. The soothing effect of the laser is remarkable, especially in acute cases, but in the case of chronic disorders, the pain may be aggravated after the first treatments and is continued only if it decreases. This study was designed as a prospective randomised controlled trial. Participants were randomised into 3 groups. The 1st group will receive wrist range of motion exercises, isometric strengthening, intrinsic muscle strengthening, wrist stretching, desensitization exercises, tendon sliding exercises, median nerve sliding exercises, wrist flexion and extension exercises, grip strengthening exercises and resting splint application for 6 weeks, 5 days a week, 30 sessions in total. The 2nd group (HILT group) will be given high intensity laser therapy 5 days a week for 6 weeks (30 sessions in total) in addition to the physical therapy program. The 3rd group will be the sham HILT group and physical therapy exercises will be applied like the other groups.

Conditions

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Rest splint group	We routinely provide the following physical therapy program to patients with carpal tunnel syndrome in our physical therapy unit: hand wrist ROM isometric strengthening, intrinsic muscle strengthening, hand wrist stretching, desensitization exercises, tendon gliding exercises, median nerve gliding exercises, wrist flexion and extension exercises, grip strengthening exercises) will be provided to patients with carpal tunnel syndrome in our physical therapy unit, and they will be instructed to use the resting splint as much as possible during the day and maximally at night for 6 weeks. Rest splint: The WingMed brand splint is specially designed to hold the wrist in a neutral position with volar support, allowing pronation and supination of the wrist but not allowing flexion, extension, radial, or ulnar deviation.
DEVICE	high-intensity laser therapy (HILT)	Group 2 (high-intensity laser therapy (HILT)) will undergo pulsed laser therapy using the HIRO 3 device (ASA Laser, Arcugnano, Italy) five times a week for 6 weeks (a total of 30 sessions, one session per day) in addition to the physical therapy program. During each session, a three-phase treatment program will be administered to patients once a day, accompanied by a physical therapist, consisting of nerve/tendon gliding exercises.
DEVICE	sham high-intensity laser therapy (HILT)	The sham-HILT group will receive sham laser therapy using the HIRO 3 device (ASA Laser, Arcugnano, Italy) five times a week for six weeks (a total of 30 sessions, one session per day) in addition to the physical therapy program. After patients see that the device is turned on during the sham application, the same treatment will be applied to the same treatment area for the same duration without allowing laser current output from the device.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-15
• Primary completion: 2026-07-15
• Completion: 2026-09-15
• First posted: 2025-12-19
• Last updated: 2026-01-13

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)