Acute Effects of Warm Whirlpool Bath Therapy on Forearm and Hand Muscle Stiffness and Pain in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

NCT07252960 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ETU-CTS-WB-2025-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common entrapment neuropathy that causes pain, paresthesia and functional limitations in the hand and wrist. Hydrotherapy methods such as warm whirlpool baths are frequently used in physiotherapy practice to reduce pain and improve soft-tissue properties, but their acute effects on forearm and hand muscle stiffness in CTS have not been clearly quantified. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the acute effects of a single session of warm whirlpool bath therapy on forearm and hand muscle stiffness and pain intensity in adults with CTS. Participants diagnosed with CTS will be randomly allocated to an experimental group receiving a 20-minute warm whirlpool bath or to a resting control group. Muscle stiffness of selected forearm and hand muscles will be assessed using the MyotonPRO device, and pain intensity will be recorded with a numeric rating scale, immediately before and after the intervention. It is hypothesized that warm whirlpool bath therapy will produce a greater reduction in muscle stiffness and pain compared with rest alone.

Conditions

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Keywords

Carpal tunnel syndrome; Muscle stiffness; Whirlpool bath therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Primary

  Dynamic muscle stiffness (N/m) of selected muscles on the affected upper limb (abductor pollicis brevis, flexor digitorum superficialis, extensor carpi radialis brevis, flexor carpi ulnaris) measured with the MyotonPRO device. For each muscle, three consecutive measurements will be recorded and the mean value will be used for analysis. The primary outcome is the change in stiffness from baseline to post-intervention, compared between the warm whirlpool bath group and the resting control group. Higher values indicate greater muscle stiffness.

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the single 20-minute session (within approximately 5 minutes)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Pain Intensity in the Affected Hand/Wrist

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the single 20-minute session (within approximately 5 minutes)

Study Arms (2)

Warm Whirlpool Bath Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive a single session of warm whirlpool bath therapy applied to the affected forearm and hand for 20 minutes.

Procedure: Warm Whirlpool Bath Therapy; Other: Resting Control Condition

Resting Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants rest in a comfortable supported position for 20 minutes without whirlpool or thermal intervention.

Procedure: Warm Whirlpool Bath Therapy; Other: Resting Control Condition

Interventions

Warm Whirlpool Bath Therapy PROCEDURE

The affected hand and forearm are immersed in a therapeutic whirlpool bath with gently circulating water at approximately 38-39°C for 20 minutes. Participants are positioned to ensure comfort and muscle relaxation. Skin integrity and tolerance to heat are checked before treatment and monitored throughout the session

Resting Control; Warm Whirlpool Bath Therapy

Resting Control Condition OTHER

Participants rest in a comfortable supine or seated position with the affected forearm supported for 20 minutes. No active hydrotherapy, thermal or manual intervention is applied. Positioning and monitoring are comparable to the experimental group.

Resting Control; Warm Whirlpool Bath Therapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Being apparently healthy without a known chronic systemic disease
• Physically active participants, regardless of gender
• Adults aged 18-65 years diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome
• No history of other chronic musculoskeletal or neurological disorders
• Not having any acute upper limb injury

You may not qualify if:

• Having a previous surgery on the affected wrist or hand
• Systemic conditions affecting nerve function, such as diabetes mellitus or thyroid disease
• Having a cardiovascular disease or uncontrolled hypertension
• Being younger than 18 or older than 65 years
• Being pregnant

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Erzurum Technical University: lead
• Amasya University: collaborator
• Bangor University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Erzurum Şehir Hastanesi

Erzurum, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Median Neuropathy; Mononeuropathies; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Nerve Compression Syndromes; Cumulative Trauma Disorders; Sprains and Strains; Wounds and Injuries

Study Officials

• Gökhan YAĞIZ

  Amasya University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Esedullah AKARAS, Dr.

CONTACT

4445388; esedullah.akaras@erzurum.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Due to the nature of the intervention, neither participants nor treating therapists are blinded to group allocation.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Dr.

Model Details: Parallel-group randomized controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio to warm whirlpool bath therapy or resting control.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 19, 2025
• First Posted: November 28, 2025
• Study Start: November 30, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 10, 2025
• Study Completion: December 10, 2025
• Last Updated: November 28, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)