Effects of Technology-Assisted Rehabilitation on Pain and Hand Function in People With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Brief Summary

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist. It may cause pain, numbness, tingling, reduced hand function, decreased grip strength, and impaired quality of life. This randomized controlled trial compared the effects of a technology-assisted multimodal rehabilitation program with conventional physiotherapy in adults with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. A total of 40 participants were randomly allocated to two groups. The technology-assisted rehabilitation group used the ErgoActive system with Leap Motion sensor technology, while the conventional physiotherapy group received conventional physiotherapy. Both groups received 18 treatment sessions over six weeks. The primary outcome was symptom severity, assessed using the Symptom Severity Scale of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ-SSS). Secondary outcomes included pain intensity, functional status, hand-related quality of life, and grip strength. Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS), functional status using the Functional Status Scale of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ-FSS), hand-related quality of life using the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ), and grip strength using a grip strength measurement device. All outcomes were assessed before and after the treatment period. The study aimed to determine whether technology-assisted multimodal rehabilitation provides greater improvements in symptoms, pain, hand function, grip strength, and hand-related quality of life than conventional physiotherapy.