Combined Manual Therapy and Percutaneous Neuromodulation for Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (MANUCTS)

June 12, 2026 updated by: Dr. Javier Bonastre Férez, Universidad Europea de Valencia

Combined Manual Therapy and Percutaneous Neuromodulation Versus Postsurgical Rehabilitation for Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Protocol for a Non-Randomized Controlled Trial

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment neuropathy and can cause pain, numbness, tingling, and functional impairment of the hand. Although surgical decompression is considered an effective treatment for moderate CTS, there is increasing interest in conservative therapeutic strategies that may improve symptoms and function while avoiding surgery.

The aim of this multicenter non-randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a combined intervention consisting of manual therapy and ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation compared with conventional postsurgical rehabilitation in patients with moderate CTS.

Participants allocated to the experimental group will receive a standardized multimodal physiotherapy program including manual therapy techniques and ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation, whereas participants in the control group will undergo standard rehabilitation following carpal tunnel release surgery. The primary outcome will be symptom severity and functional status assessed with the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes will include pain intensity, nerve conduction parameters, ultrasound measures, hand strength, patient-reported outcomes, and adverse events.

The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence regarding the potential role of combined conservative treatment as an alternative therapeutic strategy for patients with moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most prevalent peripheral entrapment neuropathy and represents a major cause of pain, sensory disturbances, and functional disability affecting the upper limb. Although surgical decompression is commonly recommended for patients with moderate CTS, interest in conservative treatment strategies has increased due to their potential to improve symptoms while avoiding surgery and its associated risks.

This multicenter non-randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effectiveness of a multimodal conservative intervention consisting of manual therapy combined with ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation versus conventional postsurgical rehabilitation in adults diagnosed with moderate CTS.

Group allocation will be based on clinical background. Participants with previous carpal tunnel release surgery will constitute the postsurgical rehabilitation group, whereas participants without previous surgery who meet the eligibility criteria will receive the combined conservative intervention. Statistical analyses will account for baseline differences between groups using propensity score adjustment in addition to intention-to-treat principles.

The primary objective is to determine whether the combined conservative intervention improves symptom severity and functional status as assessed by the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Secondary objectives include evaluating pain intensity, electrophysiological and ultrasound parameters, hand function, patient-reported outcomes, and treatment safety.

The results of this study are expected to contribute to the evidence base supporting conservative management strategies for moderate CTS and to inform future comparative clinical trials in musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

150

Phase

  • 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 Locations

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 30 to 50 years.
  • Clinical diagnosis of moderate carpal tunnel syndrome confirmed by nerve conduction studies according to the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine criteria.
  • Symptoms persisting for at least 3 months.
  • Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome in the affected hand (experimental group only).
  • Severe carpal tunnel syndrome requiring urgent surgical intervention.
  • History of wrist fracture or major upper-limb trauma affecting the study limb.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Diabetes mellitus or other systemic diseases associated with peripheral neuropathy.
  • Cervical radiculopathy or other neurological disorders affecting the upper limb.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammatory arthropathies involving the wrist.
  • Previous corticosteroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrome within the last 3 months.
  • Contraindications to percutaneous neuromodulation (e.g., pacemaker, active infection at the treatment site, bleeding disorders, or anticoagulant therapy when considered clinically inappropriate).
  • Inability to comply with the study protocol or follow-up assessments.

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Combined Manual Therapy and Percutaneous Neuromodulation
Participants allocated to the experimental arm will receive a multimodal conservative intervention consisting of manual therapy combined with ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation. The manual therapy program will include myofascial release techniques, passive accessory joint mobilizations, cervical mobilization when indicated, and median nerve neurodynamic mobilization. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation will be applied to the median nerve using low-frequency electrical stimulation according to a standardized treatment protocol. Participants will receive 12 treatment sessions over a 6-week period.
Procedure: Combined Manual Therapy and Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Neuromodulation
Participants will receive a multimodal conservative treatment consisting of manual therapy and ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation. Manual therapy will include myofascial release, passive accessory joint mobilization, cervical mobilization when indicated, and median nerve neurodynamic mobilization. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation will be applied to the median nerve using low-frequency electrical stimulation according to a standardized protocol.
Active Comparator: Postsurgical Rehabilitation.
Participants allocated to the postsurgical rehabilitation arm will receive a standardized physiotherapy program following carpal tunnel release surgery. The rehabilitation protocol will include transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), active and passive mobilization exercises, strengthening exercises for the wrist and hand, stretching exercises, cryotherapy, and soft tissue techniques as clinically indicated. Participants will receive 18 treatment sessions over a 6-week period.
Other: Postsurgical Rehabilitation
Participants will receive a standardized physiotherapy program following carpal tunnel release surgery, including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), active and passive mobilization exercises, strengthening exercises, stretching, cryotherapy, and soft tissue techniques as clinically indicated.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) total score
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
The primary outcome is the change in symptom severity and functional status assessed using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), a validated patient-reported outcome measure for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Baseline and 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain intensity
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Pain intensity assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).
Baseline and 6 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Upper-limb disability
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 4-week follow-up
Upper-limb disability assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire.
Baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 4-week follow-up
Median nerve sensory conduction velocity
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 4-week follow-up
Sensory conduction velocity (m/s) assessed by standardized nerve conduction studies.
Baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 4-week follow-up
Median nerve distal motor latency
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 4-week follow-up
Distal motor latency (ms) assessed by standardized nerve conduction studies.
Baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 4-week follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Universidad Europea de Valencia

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 12, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • UEV-CTS-MTPNM-2026-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

At the time of registration, no final decision has been made regarding the sharing of individual participant data. Any future data-sharing plan will be determined in accordance with applicable ethical approvals, institutional policies, participant consent, and data protection regulations.

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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