study protocol for a randomized trial comparing tendon and nerve glide in carpal tunnel syndrome rehabilitation

Purpose: carpal tunnel syndrome (cts) is one of the most common neuropathies. among the treatment modalities, exercise therapy, in addition to its therapeutic effects, does not require continuous clinic visits or a therapist’s constant presence, saving the patient time and money. accordingly, this study compares two models of therapeutic exercises, including nerve glide and tendon glide. methods: the participants were divided into two random groups (n=25 in each group). the first group received ultrasound and nerve gliding exercises; the second group received ultrasound and tendon gliding exercises. the treatment lasted 8 weeks (2 times weekly) and the participants conducted the exercises at home under supervision. before and after the intervention, a visual analog scale (vas), boston questionnaire, dynamometer measures, and electro-diagnostic tests were done in both groups. results: regarding the effects of the neural and tendon gliding techniques, there are contradictory findings in the studies, often due to the lack of standardized study protocols and the absence of gold-standard outcome measures. conclusion: with the establishment of standardized protocols and the use of reliable and practical outcome measures in the current study, doing exercises at home and having a follow-up to assess the sustainability of treatment effects, neural gliding may be more effective in the treatment of cts, considering the nature of the injury.