Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03576196

Preoperative Pain Neuroscience Education in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Study Design: A double-blind randomized controlled study.

Background: Patients operated on for carpal tunnel release surgery may persist with pain after surgery, which could be modulated by psychosocial factors such as depression, catastrophic thinking and kinesiophobia.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a preoperative session in pain neuroscience education combined with postoperative therapeutic exercise in the perception of pain, functionality and psychosocial variables in patients following carpal tunnel release.

Methods: Thirty participants were randomly assigned to the pain neuroscience education group combined with postoperative therapeutic exercise (n = 15) or to the control group with preoperative usual care combined with postoperative therapeutic exercise (n = 15). Evaluations included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Disability of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (QuickDASH), pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Tampa scale of kinesiophobia (TSK-11) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) . A basal, fourth and twelfth week measurement was made.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients over 18 years of age
  • Medical diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome waiting for surgery
  • Agree to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

  • Inability to understand instructions,
  • Illiteracy,
  • Previous participation in educational programs regarding pain,
  • Pathology of uncontrolled mental health,
  • Cognitive problems,
  • Previous surgeries in the operated extremity.

Treatment and study plan

Preoperative Pain Neuroscience Education

Other

Single session of pain neuroscience education a week prior to surgery, of an individual character, lasting approximately 30 minutes, performed by a physiotherapist trained. The main contents addressed in the educational session were: neurophysiological aspects of pain, biopsychosocial aspects of pain, concept of peripheral and central sensitization, using audio-visual support, examples and metaphors for a better understanding by the patient, as reported in previous studies.

This treatment was combined with a hand therapy session seven days after the surgery, verbal and written instruction was given to the patients to perform exercises at home of active sliding of the digital flexor tendon, active opposition of the thumb and active range of flexion and extension of the wrist.

Other names: Experimental

Usual Care

Other

This treatment was combined with a hand therapy session seven days after the surgery, verbal and written instruction was given to the patients to perform exercises at home of active sliding of the digital flexor tendon, active opposition of the thumb and active range of flexion and extension of the wrist.

Other names: Control

Primary outcomes

  1. Change of Disability in upper-limb

    Time frame: Change from Baseline Disability at fourth and twelfth week

    The Perception of patients of their disability in upper-limb evaluated by The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Spanish version Outcome Measure is a 30-item scored 1-5. The assigned values for all completed responses are simply summed and averaged. Scoring: The assigned values for all completed responses are simply summed and averaged and higher values represent a worse Disability in upper-limb.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change of Pain Interference: Kinesiophobia

    Time frame: Change from Baseline Kinesiophobia at fourth and twelfth week

    Kinesiophobia will be evaluated by Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-11SV) (Spanish adaptation. Gómez-Pérez, López-Martínez y Ruiz-Párraga, 2011). Scoring: Items are summed, with a total score from 11-44 and higher values represent a worse outcome (more pain interference in behavior).

  2. Change of Emotional status: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD).

    Time frame: Change from Baseline emotional status at fourth and twelfth week

    Patient's emotional state will be evaluated by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), which assess the level of anxiety and depression. Subscales and score range are Anxiety (0-21) and Depression (0-21). Scoring: items of each subscale are summed, indicating: 0-7 normality, 8-10 probably case, 11-21 anxiety or depression clinical case. Higher values represent a worse outcome.

  3. Change of Pain evaluation:

    Time frame: Change from Baseline Pain at fourth and twelfth week

    Pain will be measured by the Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS) from 0 to 10, where higher values represent a worse outcome (0 is no pain and 10 the maximum pain experienced).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hospital Clínico La Florida

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Preoperative Pain Neuroscience Education Combined With Therapeutic Exercise Post-surgery in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2018
First posted
Jul 3, 2018
Registry last updated
Aug 7, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.