preview

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Case Study

Better Essays

The Effectiveness of Conservation Intervention for Adults with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Critical Appraisal
Stephanie K. Peterson
University of the Sunshine Coast

The Effectiveness of Conservation Intervention for Adults with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Critical Appraisal
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the entrapment of the median nerve caused by compression or swelling in the carpal tunnel of the wrist (Radomski and Latham, 2008). Typically it presents as numbness, tingling, hypersensitivity, or burning sensation causing reduced function of the hand. Symptoms can be periodic or persistent (Pal, 2001). Aetiology is unknown however women are more likely than men to have reported CTS, fractures or inflammatory disease may increase …show more content…

Pain is known to reduce participation and functioning in individual’s daily lives. Meriano & Latella, (2008) explained how Pain and Sensation are identified on the American Occupational Therapy Association framework as client factors. These client factors are foundations for participation and functional performance in activities of daily living (Meriano & Latella, 2008). Carpal Tunnel Release is a surgical intervention is a common treatment for CTS however for milder symptoms or individuals waiting for surgery the benefit of conservation interventions should be investigated. Conservation Interventions identified through research include steroid injections, cold therapy, splinting, nerve gliding, acupuncture, and task modification or ergonomic tools. Atroshi (1999) reported splinting as an effective intervention for mild to moderate CTS . The purpose of this paper is to identify if conservation interventions especially splinting can be effective in alleviating symptoms increasing adults with CTS functional …show more content…

Splinting is an established practice in CTS for mild to moderate symptoms the long term benefits after 12months are unclear but as a therapist splinting to elevate short term symptoms is advisable. This critical appraisal indicates that splinting should not be generalised to greater population especially in individuals identified with associated conditions such as arthritis and women who were pregnant who were excluded from studies. The search strategy undertaken to identify these articles may indicate that in a period of time prior to 2005, splinting was found to have a certain level of reliability and validity, a more in-depth analysis of research would evaluate and guide occupational therapy better extending search parameters to include articles published prior to

Get Access