Investigating the effectiveness of full-time wrist splinting and education in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of wearing a wrist support splint for 8 wk and receiving a formal education program on patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), as well as factors associated with patients' desire to seek surgical intervention. Participants were recruited from a hospital surgical wait list and randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 24). Significant improvements in measures of symptom severity and functional status over the duration of the study appeared in the intervention group but not in the control group. Logistic regression for the intervention group showed that symptom severity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.20-1.93]), functional deficits (OR = 1.31, 95% CI [1.08-1.57]), pain score (OR = 1.25, 95% CI [1.11-1.61]), and symptom duration (OR = 1.11, 95% CI [1.01-1.24]) were positively associated with the desire to seek surgical intervention. This conservative CTS treatment program conducted by occupational therapists can improve symptoms and hand function in CTS patients.