Skip to content

Fascial Manipulation on the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Evaluation of Fascial Manipulation for the Conservative Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial, Phase II

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02495298
Enrollment
14
Registered
2015-07-13
Start date
2013-08-31
Completion date
2014-04-30
Last updated
2016-10-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Keywords

Fascial manipulation, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Brief summary

The trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Fascial Manipulation on pain reduction, functional recovery and nerve conduction of patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scale (DASH), Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTQ) and Electroneuromyography were assessed. The study is blind for the patient and the raters.

Detailed description

This is a prospective, randomized, placebo controlled, rater blind trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Fascial Manipulation as a therapy for CTS. Fascial Manipulation is an intense friction performed by the elbows or the distal extremities of the interphalangeal articulation of the index finger for some minutes as to promote hyperemia to restore the collagen fibers ability to slide against each other. The friction lasts from 2 to 4 minutes. In this trial, 14 patients were randomized in two groups: The intervention group received fascial manipulation for CTS and the other group, received fascial manipulation on spots not related to CTS. This last group was the placebo control group. The treatment was performed once a week for 5 weeks consecutively and the follow up visits for the assessments were performed 10 days and 3 months after the end of the treatment.

Interventions

The Fascial Manipulation was performed by a physiotherapist on the spots indicated by clinician as the most painful ones due to CTS. The selected spots were informed to the physiotherapist after the clinical anamnesis.

PROCEDURESham Fascial Manipulation

After the clinical anamnesis, a physiotherapist performed the Fascial Manipulation on different spots, rather than the spots the clinician considered the most painful ones due to CTS.

Sponsors

Marta Imamura
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* CTS degrees Ia, Ib and II diagnosis according to clinical evaluation and electroneuromyography; * Wrist and finger paresthesia for more than 3 months prior to screening visit; * Moderate to intense pain: VAS\>4. * Ability to understand and respond to the questionnaires used in the trial; * Ability to understand the Informed Consent Form; * Sign the Informed Consent Form.

Exclusion criteria

* Psychiatric disorders; * Fibromyalgia; * Rheumatologic diseases; * Other conditions related to CTS, as renal failure, diabetes, acromegaly, hyperthyroidism, multiple myeloma; * History of neoplasia; * History of surgery at Carpal Tunnel; * History of use of illegal drugs; * History of chronic use of corticosteroids; * Corticosteroid infiltration one month prior to inclusion in the trial.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Change from baseline in pain on the VAS score for pain at 10 days after the end of the treatment.Baseline and 10 days after end of the treatment.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change from baseline in nerve conduction on Electroneuromyography test for nerve conduction at 10 days after the end of the treatmentBaseline and 10 days after the treatment
Change from baseline in pain on the VAS score for pain at 3 months after the end of the treatment.Baseline and 3 months after end of the treatment.
Change from baseline in function on BCTQ score for function at 10 days and 3 months after the end of the treatment.Baseline, 10 days and 3 months after the treatmentThe Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire is a self rated evaluation which assesses the function, with 8 items, and the symptoms, with 11 items, of patients with CTS. Each item is a 5-point scale.
Change from baseline in function on DASH score for function at 10 days and 3Baseline, 10 days and 3 months after the treatmentThe DASH scale is a self rated evaluation for upper limbs which assesses symptoms and function with 30 items in total. Each arm has a score from 1 to 5, in which highest score indicates highest incapacities.

Countries

Brazil

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026