Comparative Efficacy of Therapeutic Ultrasound and Neurodynamic Techniques for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

IBB University60 enrolled

Overview

This randomized controlled trial compares the efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound alone, neurodynamic techniques alone, and combined therapeutic ultrasound and neurodynamic techniques in patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.

This three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial evaluated the comparative efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound (US), neurodynamic techniques (ND), and combined US plus ND in 60 participants with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome over a 6-week intervention period. The primary outcomes measured were pain intensity via visual analog scale (VAS) and symptom severity and functional status using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ). Secondary outcomes evaluated nerve conduction parameters including distal motor latency (DML), sensory latency (SL), and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

Interventions

Neurodynamic TechniquesOTHER

Median nerve neurodynamic mobilization (progressing from sliders to tensioners), 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome confirmed by electrophysiological testing. * Age between 18 and 65 years. * Presence of symptoms (pain, numbness, tingling) for at least 3 months. Exclusion Criteria: * History of previous carpal tunnel release surgery or wrist trauma. * Corticosteroid injection into the wrist within the past 3 months. * Cervical radiculopathy, polyneuropathy, or other upper extremity neurological disorders. * Pregnancy or lactation. * Contraindications to therapeutic ultrasound (e.g., active infection, metallic implants in the treatment area, malignant tumors).

Locations (1)

Ibb University

Ibb, Yemen

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Pain Intensity

Measure Description: Measured using the unabbreviated Visual Analog Scale (VAS). This scale ranges from 0 to 10 cm, where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome (greater pain intensity).

Time frame: Baseline and 6 weeks post-intervention

Symptom Severity

Measure Description: Assessed using the unabbreviated Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Symptom Severity Scale (BCTQ-SSS). The scale ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome (more severe symptoms).

Time frame: Baseline and 6 weeks post-intervention

Functional Status

Measure Description: Assessed using Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Functional Status Scale (BCTQ-FSS). The scale ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating a worse outcome (greater functional disability/impairment).

Time frame: Baseline and 6 weeks post-intervention

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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