Mechanisms of Neural Mobilization in the Treatment of Chronic Pain

University of Florida

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2; Phase 1

Conditions: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Treatments: Procedure: sham neural mobilization; Other: healthy controls; Procedure: neural mobilization

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT00929123

R21AT002796 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

R21AT002796-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a manual therapy technique (neural mobilization) on measures of clinical pain and function, experimental pain sensitivity, and on the function of the median nerve in individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome. The investigators hypothesized that individuals receiving a neural mobilization technique known to directly stress the median nerve would demonstrate greater improvements in clinical pain and function, experimental pain sensitivity, and median nerve function than those receiving a sham technique.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 to 70 years of age
• signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome for greater than 12 weeks

Exclusion criteria

• non english speaking
• prior surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome
• systemic condition known to affect sensation
• chronic pain condition other than carpal tunnel syndrome

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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40 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

neural mobilization

Experimental group

Description:

manual therapy technique known to directly stress the median nerve

Treatment:

Procedure: neural mobilization

sham neural mobilization

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

manual therapy technique known to directly stress the median nerve without any stimulation.

Treatment:

Procedure: sham neural mobilization

Healthy Controls

Active Comparator group

Description:

People without carpal tunnel syndrome for comparison

Treatment:

Other: healthy controls