The Effectiveness of Stretching and Orthoses in Individuals With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

July 31, 2024 updated by: Mohamed Magdy ElMeligie, Ahram Canadian University

Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Effectiveness of Stretching and Orthoses Versus Orthoses Alone in Individuals With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of stretching and prefabricated orthoses versus orthoses alone in individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) using validated condition-appropriate outcome measures such as BCTQ, pain levels, grip strength, and nerve conduction studies.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
75

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Egypt
    • Giza
      • Al Ḩayy Ath Thāmin, Giza, Egypt, 3221405
        • Outpatient clinic of faculty of physical therapy, Ahram Canadian University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Men and women aged 30-60 years or older with a confirmed diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome based on clinical presentation and/or nerve conduction studies.
  2. Participants must have a moderate level of symptom severity, defined as a score of 2 or greater on the symptom severity subscale of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ).
  3. Participants must have a moderate level of functional impairment, defined as a score of 2 or greater on the functional status subscale of the BCTQ.
  4. Participants must be willing and able to provide informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Participants with a history of hand or wrist surgery within the past 6 months, as this could impact hand function and confound the study results.
  2. Participants with severe hand or wrist pain that would prevent completion of the outcome measures or interfere with their ability to participate in the study.
  3. Participants with severe cognitive impairment or language barrier that would prevent understanding of the study instructions or interfere with their ability to participate in the study.
  4. Participants with any other medical condition that could affect hand function or interfere with test completion, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or peripheral neuropathy.
  5. Participants who have participated in any other clinical trial or research study involving the hand or wrist within the past 3 months, as this could impact hand function and confound the study results.
  6. Participants who are unable to comply with study procedures or follow-up requirements, such as attending scheduled study visits or completing study questionnaires.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Group A: Stretching and Prefabricated Orthoses
Participants in this arm will receive supervised general and lumbrical muscle stretching exercises for 10 minutes, three times per week, for 8 weeks, as well as prefabricated wrist orthoses.
Device: Prefabricated Orthoses
Participants in this group will be provided with prefabricated wrist orthoses to wear during the day and at night to provide support and immobilization to the wrist. Participants will be instructed to wear the orthoses as directed by their healthcare provider.
Other: general and lumbrical muscle stretching
Participants in this group will receive supervised general and lumbrical muscle stretching exercises for 10 minutes, three times per week, for 8 weeks. The stretching exercises will be performed under the supervision of a trained therapist and will include a series of exercises designed to stretch the muscles in the hands, wrists, and forearms. In addition, participants will be provided with prefabricated wrist orthoses to wear during the day and at night to provide support and immobilization to the wrist.
Experimental: Group B: Orthoses Alone
Participants in this arm will receive prefabricated wrist orthoses only.
Device: Prefabricated Orthoses
Participants in this group will be provided with prefabricated wrist orthoses to wear during the day and at night to provide support and immobilization to the wrist. Participants will be instructed to wear the orthoses as directed by their healthcare provider.
Placebo Comparator: Group C: Placebo Treatment
Participants in this arm will receive placebo treatment consisting of gentle wrist and hand movements.
Other: Placebo
Participants in this group will receive placebo treatment consisting of gentle wrist and hand movements. The movements will be performed under the supervision of a trained therapist and will consist of gentle range of motion exercises designed to mobilize the joints in the hands and wrists. Participants will not be provided with any orthoses to wear during the study.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ)
Time Frame: Changes in BCTQ at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks.
The BCTQ is a validated condition-specific questionnaire used to assess the severity of symptoms and functional limitations associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. The questionnaire consists of 11 items related to symptom severity and 8 items related to functional status. The scores for each set of items are combined to generate symptom severity and functional status scores, which will be used as the primary outcome measures for this study.
Changes in BCTQ at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks.
Pain Levels
Time Frame: Changes in pain level at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks.
Pain levels will be assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). Participants will be asked to rate their pain levels at rest and during specific activities such as gripping, pinching, and typing.
Changes in pain level at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Grip Strength
Time Frame: Changes in grip strength at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks.
Grip strength will be measured using a hand-held dynamometer. Participants will be instructed to grip the dynamometer as hard as possible, and the maximum force generated will be recorded in kilograms. Grip strength is a commonly used outcome measure in hand rehabilitation research and is a reliable and valid measure of hand function.
Changes in grip strength at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks.
Nerve Conduction Studies
Time Frame: Changes in nerve conduction studies at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks.
Nerve conduction studies will be used to assess the severity and extent of median nerve involvement in participants with carpal tunnel syndrome. The studies will be performed by a trained neurophysiologist using standard techniques and equipment.
Changes in nerve conduction studies at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Ahram Canadian University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: Amal Fawzy, Ph.d, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Ahram Canadian University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 3, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 24, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 24, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 20, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 20, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 3, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 1, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 31, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 012/0701

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The individual participant data (IPD) collected during this study will be available upon reasonable request. Requests for access to the data should be submitted via email to mohamed.elmeligie@acu.edu.eg. All requests will be reviewed by the study investigators to ensure that they are reasonable and consistent with the ethical principles of the study. Access to the data will be granted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and with appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy and confidentiality of study participants.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

During the trial and 1 year after it ends

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

via email to mohamed.elmeligie@acu.edu.eg

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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