Effectiveness of Manual Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Study Overview
This study aimed to find out if combining cervical spine manual therapy (CMT) with traditional physical therapy (PT) leads to better outcomes for people with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) compared to using PT alone.
Methodology
Forty-eight patients diagnosed with CTS were split into two groups: one received only conventional PT, while the other received PT along with CMT. Both groups underwent 10 sessions of supervised PT, which included wrist splints, electrotherapy, and wrist joint mobilization. The CMT group also received neck manual therapy.
Evaluation Criteria
We assessed patient progress using:
- Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
- Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ)
- Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire
- Median Nerve Motor Distal Latency (mMDL)
- Median Sensory Nerve Conduction Velocity (mSNCV)
Measurements were taken at the start, after treatment, and six months later.
Key Findings
The group receiving CMT showed significantly better improvement in:
- Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
- DASH Score
- Median Nerve Motor Distal Latency (mMDL)
- Median Sensory Nerve Conduction Velocity (mSNCV)
While there was no immediate difference in two subscales of the BCTQ, significant improvement was noted in the CMT group after six months.
Conclusion
Combining cervical manual therapy with conventional physical therapy appears to be more effective for improving long-term clinical outcomes in patients with CTS. This method is recommended for those suffering from this condition.
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