EFFECTS OF MANUAL THERAPY ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH THERAPEUTIC ULTRASOUND AMONG FEAMLE PATIENTS WITH CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME.

Abstract

ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common disorder that affects the median
nerve in the wrist, leading to pain, numbness, and weakness in the hand. It is a typical
occupational disorder that affects people who use vibrating tools or equipment or engage in
repetitive hand motions. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of manual therapy alone and in
combination with therapeutic ultrasound among female patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: 50 female patients were chosen for the study from a variety
of clinics in Pakistan's Twin Cities. The 25 female patients in experimental group were treated
with manual therapy plus ultrasound therapy, and 25 female patients of control group were
treated with manual therapy only. Every session began with an evaluation of each patient's
symptom improvement. Data were gathered using a functional status measure for physical
functions and a numeric pain rating scale. Data analysis was done using SPSS 22. RESULTS:
This study included 50 participants, 25 in each group, with mean ages of 42.24±2.76 years and
45.88±2.01 years in the experimental and control groups, respectively. The mean BMI was 26.9
in the experimental group and 25.5 in the control group. Both groups' participants tended to be
right-handed, and the majority of them had carpal tunnel symptoms that mostly affected the right
hand. Both manual therapy techniques with and without therapeutic ultrasound were found
effective in reducing pain and improving functional status in patients with carpal tunnel
syndrome. In comparison to the control group, the experimental group displayed a statistically
significant reduction in pain score and an improvement in functional status. Between the two
groups, there was a mean difference in pain reduction of 2.58 0.11, and the mean.
CONCLUSION: Study concluded that manual therapy techniques along with ultra sound
therapy were very effective combination in the management of chronic carpal tunnel syndrome
in female patients. But experimental group is more effective than control group.