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CompletedNCT04246216Updated Feb 8, 2023

Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

An interventional study of Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Endoscopic surgery of the carpal tunnel in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, sponsored by Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Completed at 1 site in Spain. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-02-08.

Sponsored by Universidad Rey Juan Carlos · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
70
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

There is evidence supporting that physical therapy interventions can be effective for the management of patients with CTS. No consensus on the best approach exist. It seems clear that the median nerve is affected in several ways (compression, inflammation, excursion) in carpal tunnel syndrome. Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is a treatment approach consisting of the application of an electrical current throughout needling filaments placed close to the nerve, in this case the median nerve. The purpose of this clinical trial is to compare changes in function, symptom severity and the intensity of pain after the application of Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation vs. endoscopic surgery in women with CTS at short- and long-term follow-up periods.

02

Conditions studied

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
03

In context

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

589 studies on the registry are indexed under Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; 139 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 70 is above the median of 60 across 445 interventional studies indexed under Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Browse Carpal Tunnel Syndrome studies →

Lead sponsor

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos is the lead sponsor of 111 studies on the registry; 22 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • pain and paresthesia in the median nerve distribution
  • positive Tinel sign,
  • positive Phalen sign,
  • symptoms had to have persisted for at least 6 months
  • deficits of sensory and motor median nerve conduction according to guidelines of the American Association of Electrodiagnosis, American Academy of Neurology, and the American Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Academy

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • any sensory/motor deficit related to the ulnar or radial nerve;
  • older than 65 years of age;
  • previous surgical intervention, steroid injections or physical therapy intervention
  • multiple diagnoses of the upper extremity (eg, cervical radiculopathy);
  • history of neck, shoulder, or upper limb trauma (whiplash);
  • history of any systemic disease causing CTS (eg, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease);
  • history of other systemic conditions (eg, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia);
  • pregnancy;
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
70 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

    The experimental group will receive 3 sessions (once per week) of ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation targeted the median nerve. Once the median nerve is ultrasound identified, the needles will be left in situ at the identified points connected to an electrostimulator (ES-160 ITO co.) applying a biphasic continuous waveform, at low frequency (2 Hz)19 and with 250 microseconds pulse duration for 30mins.

    Procedure: Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

  • Active comparator
    Surgery

    The surgical group will receive a surgical procedure consisting of the decompression and release of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel performed by an experienced surgeon according to standardized protocols.

    Procedure: Endoscopic surgery of the carpal tunnel

Interventions

  • ProcedurePercutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

    Experimental: Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation The experimental group will receive 3 sessions (once per week) of ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation targeted the median nerve. Once the median nerve is ultrasound identified, the needles will be left in situ at the identified points connected to an electrostimulator (ES-160 ITO co.) applying a biphasic continuous waveform, at low frequency (2 Hz)19 and with 250 microseconds pulse duration for 30mins.

  • ProcedureEndoscopic surgery of the carpal tunnel

    The surgical group will receive a surgical procedure consisting of the decompression and release of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel performed by an experienced surgeon according to standardized protocols.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes in pain intensity between baseline and follow-up periods

    An 11-point Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS, 0: no pain - 10: maximum pain) will be used to assess the patients' current level of hand pain and the worst and lowest level of pain experienced in the preceding week.

    Time frame: Baseline and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the intervention.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in hand function between baseline and follow-up periods

    The Spanish version of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) will be used to assess function. This questionnaire evaluates 2 domains: 1) the functional status scale assesses ability to perform 8 common hand-related tasks; and, 2) the symptom severity scale includes 11 items assessing pain severity, numbness, and weakness at night and during the day. Each question is answered on a 5-point scale (1: no complaint; 5: severe complaint), with higher scores indicating greater severity.

    Time frame: Baseline and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the intervention.

  2. Changes in severity between baseline and follow-up periods

    The Spanish version of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) will be used to assess function. This questionnaire evaluates 2 domains: 1) the functional status scale assesses ability to perform 8 common hand-related tasks; and, 2) the symptom severity scale includes 11 items assessing pain severity, numbness, and weakness at night and during the day. Each question is answered on a 5-point scale (1: no complaint; 5: severe complaint), with higher scores indicating greater severity.

    Time frame: Baseline and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the intervention.

  3. Changes in patient self-perceived improvement between baseline and follow-up periods

    . Subjects self-perceived improvement will be assessed using a Global Rating of Change (GROC) which consists of a 15-point scale ranging from -7 (a very great deal worse) to +7 (a very great deal better). It has been reported that scores of +4 and +5 are indicative of moderate changes in patient status, whereas scores of +6 and +7 indicate large changes in the status of the patient.

    Time frame: Baseline and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the intervention.

07

Study locations

1 site
  • César Fernández-de-las-Peñas
    Alcorcon, Alcorcon, Madrid 28922, Spain
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 8, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04246216
Lead sponsor
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Responsible party
César Fernández-de-las-Peñas (Full proffessor, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 29, 2020
Start date
Mar 1, 2020
Primary completion
Mar 31, 2021
Completion
Mar 31, 2022
Last update
Feb 8, 2023

Study contacts

César Fernández-de-las-Peñas
principal investigator · Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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