Effectiveness of an Early Occupational Therapy Intervention in Post-Surgery Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Patients

Introduction: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most prevalent peripheral neuropathy affecting the upper limb and carpal tunnel release (CTR) is the preferred treatment for moderate-to-severe cases. This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of early occupational therapy intervention in post-surgery patients with CTS. Materials and Methods: Twenty women with idiopathic CTS who were candidates for surgery were recruited and assessed before surgery. After surgery, they were assigned to the intervention (n=10) or control group (n=10). The control group received standard care, while the intervention group underwent early occupational therapy intervention (10 sessions over 3 weeks). Range of motion, hand and pinch strength, and pain level were measured using a goniometer, hand dynamometer, pinch gauge and visual analog scale (VAS). The Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire (BCTQ) was used to evaluate symptom severity and hand function. We used paired sample t-tests, independent t-tests and Fisher’s exact tests to compare variables between groups. Results: The intervention significantly improved wrist active flexion and two-point and three- point pinch strengths in the intervention group. Both groups had reduced pain intensity, with a significantly greater decrease in the intervention group. The intervention group also showed better symptom severity and functional status results, with a significantly greater improvement in symptom severity (P≤0.05). Conclusion: Early occupational therapy following CTR is more effective than routine interventions in enhancing pinch strength and alleviating pain and symptoms. Nevertheless, randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine the duration of these benefits.