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

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.

NCT Number	NCT07252960
Lead Sponsor	Erzurum Technical University Collaborators: Amasya University, Bangor University
Conditions	Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Enrollment	24 participants
Start Date	2025-11-30
Primary Completion	2025-12-10 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-12-10 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-11-28