Effectiveness of Neurodynamic Techniques for the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Effectiveness of Neurodynamic Techniques for the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome CTS is the most common peripheral neuropathy seen in clinic. It results in marked functional limitations of patients. Most patients undergo surgical release which places a heavy burden on health system. Neurodynamic exercise is claimed to be an effective physiotherapy treatment for these patients. It is a practical and complications-free treatment which can be used as a home exercise program. This study aims to investigate the effect of median nerve gliding exercise on symptoms severity and functional limitation in CTS patients.

• Design: Two groups randomized controlled trial
• Participants: 50 subjects diagnosed with CTS will be recruited from JUH physical medicine and rehabilitation department, diagnosis will be confirmed by a physician clinically and using nerve conduction test. Subjects will be randomized into treatment and control groups.
• Procedures: Participants will be recruited from the physical medicine department at JUH and the diagnosis and initial assessment will be performed by a physician. Baseline outcomes will be measured by an experienced physiotherapist.

Treatment Group: Neurodynamics evaluation and treatment will be provided by an experienced physiotherapist. Each treatment session involves both manual therapy and median nerve mobilization exercise following the neurodynamics concept. Four 60 minutes sessions over a period of four weeks will be performed for each patient. Median nerve mobilization exercise will be continued as home exercise program and will be monitored by the treating physiotherapist using exercise diary.

Control group: four sessions of exercise will be given to participants. CTS standard exercise brochure will be given for the patients to follow over 4 weeks. The brochure will include wrist joint strengthening, stretching and AROM exercise.

Outcomes will be measured at the end of the 4 weeks treatment, 6 weeks and 6 months post treatment.

• Data analysis: Microsoft Excel and SPSS will be used for data entry and analysis.

Descriptive analysis: All obtained data will be tabulated, means, standard deviations and differences will be measured.

Inferential analysis: Two way repeated measure ANOVA will be used to measure differences between the groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

Confirmed CTS diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

Previous trauma or surgery involving the upper extremities known neurological condition pregnancy history of radiating neck or back pain in the previous 3 months