The Comparative Effectiveness of Tendon and Nerve Gliding Exercises in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of tendon and nerve gliding exercises as a part of combined treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome. Design: Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were randomized into three groups. All patients received conventional treatments (splint and paraffin therapy, as in group 3), but group 1 underwent additional tendon gliding exercises and group 2 underwent additional nerve gliding exercises. Each patient received a package of questionnaires and underwent physical examinations and nerve conduction study of the upper limbs before and after treatment for 2 mos. Results: Sixty patients were recruited, and 53 completed the study. There were significant improvements in symptom severity and pain scale scores in all groups. However, only group 1 showed significant improvements in their scores on functional status; the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire; and the physical domain of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire Brief Version. After adjusting for baseline data, we found significant differences in the functional status scores among the groups. Post hoc analyses detected a significant difference in functional status scores between groups 1 and 2. Conclusions: The combination of tendon gliding exercises with conventional treatments may be more effective than that of nerve gliding exercises with conventional treatments.