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Different Treatment Approaches for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Comparison of Orthotics, Physical Therapy, and Physical Therapy+Orthotics in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07048379
Enrollment
51
Registered
2025-07-02
Start date
2025-07-25
Completion date
2025-09-25
Last updated
2025-07-22

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

Conditions

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Brief summary

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common syndrome in the upper extremities resulting from compression of the median nerve, which branches out to the first three fingers of the wrist. The project will be studied in three separate groups. The first group consists of patients who only use orthoses, the second group consists of patients who only receive physical therapy, and the third group consists of patients who receive both orthoses and physical therapy. The aim of all three groups is to examine the effects of the interventions on the daily living activities, pain, grip strength, and quality of life of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and to evaluate the patients' satisfaction levels after the interventions. As part of the study, the group using orthoses will be given a resting orthosis that keeps the wrist in a neutral position. The group receiving physical therapy will be administered Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) current, hot packs, and exercises. The third group will receive both the orthosis approach and the physical therapy approach. Ultimately, this project aims to help determine the most beneficial intervention for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome by comparing these three interventions.

Detailed description

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a peripheral neuropathy caused by compression of the median nerve in the wrist. It is a syndrome that is commonly seen in approximately 1-5% of the population throughout their lifetime. It is more common in middle-aged women. Conservative treatment is generally preferred for mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. Conservative treatment allows for the reduction or even elimination of symptoms associated with this syndrome without the need for surgery. Individuals can continue their daily lives as usual. The use of orthoses, one of these methods, plays an important role in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Orthotics minimise movement of the wrist, preventing compression in this area, contributing to functional improvement and benefiting the individual's daily activities. Using orthotics throughout the day can have a positive effect on the individual's condition by reducing and preventing inflammation of the median nerve. Another conservative treatment approach is physical therapy. In physical therapy, exercises to strengthen the wrist muscles, stretching exercises to increase joint range of motion, and hot-cold applications in people with carpal tunnel syndrome are also effective in reducing pain. Additionally, there are patients who use orthoses and undergo physical therapy. When comparing the treatment periods of this group of patients to the other two groups, it is believed that their recovery periods will be shorter and they will recover more quickly than with the other two approaches. This study's aim is investigating the effects of the three intervention approaches on patients' quality of life, daily living activities, reduction in pain intensity, and grip strength, taking patient satisfaction into account. The project will be examined across three separate groups. The first group consists of patients who use only orthoses, the second group consists of patients who receive only physical therapy, and the third group consists of patients who receive both orthoses and physical therapy. The aim of all three groups is to examine the effects of the interventions on the daily living activities, pain, grip strength, and quality of life of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and to evaluate the patients' satisfaction levels after the interventions. As part of the study, the group using orthoses will be given a resting orthosis that keeps the wrist in a neutral position. The group receiving physical therapy will be administered Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) current, hot packs, and exercises. The third group will receive both the orthosis approach and the physical therapy approach. Ultimately, this project aims to help determine the most beneficial intervention for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome by comparing these three interventions.

Interventions

DEVICEOrthosis

A resting orthosis will be preferred because it keeps the wrist in a neutral position.

OTHERPhysical Therapy

Participants will undergo physical therapy for three weeks, including hot packs, TENS, tendon-nerve sliding exercises, stretching and strengthening exercises.

Sponsors

Sakarya University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Be between the ages of 18 and 65 * Have been diagnosed with mild or moderate carpal tunnel syndrome

Exclusion criteria

* Symptom duration of more than 12 months, * Those who have undergone surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome * Those who have received physical therapy within the last 6 months, * Those who have received steroid injections into the carpal tunnel, * Those with a history of trauma to the wrist and surrounding area, * Those using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, * Individuals with additional systemic, musculoskeletal, or neurological conditions that may affect symptoms will be excluded from the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pain (visual analogue scale)Pain will be assessed before and immediately after the interventions (3 weeks later).Pain will be assessed using a visual analogue scale. Zero point means that there is no pain and Ten point is unbearable pain according to scale.

Contacts

Primary ContactEmel TAŞVURAN HORATA, PhD
ethorata@gmail.com+905547759663

Outcome results

None listed

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