Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. This study systematically located and evaluated 56 patient education handouts for carpal tunnel syndrome. Handouts were reviewed for overall quality on the basis of completeness and accuracy of the content and readability for patients. Our findings point to strengths and limitations of educational materials and identified the best patient resources for OT practitioners. Primary Author and Speaker: Yiyang Fang Contributing Authors: Shawn C. Roll, Nancy Baker, and Julianna E. Dole

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Repetitive wrist and hand movement is a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome. During daily functional hand use, some people develop carpal tunnel syndrome. However, the exact mechanism of injury remains unknown. We evaluated the effect of functional hand use on the median nerve and assessed the compression and displacement of the median nerve using state-of-the-art sonography. Primary Author and Speaker: Buwen Yao Contributing Authors: Shawn C. Roll

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. OTs have a major role in the conservative care of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) before surgery; however, best treatment practices are unclear as a result of conflicting recommendations among professional disciplines. We collected and analyzed professional guideline recommendations to construct a consolidated guideline with clear ratings for the available treatments. This guideline will inform treatment procedures and develop more universal best practices for remedying CTS. Primary Author and Speaker: Julianna E. Dole Contributing Authors: Nancy Baker, Shawn C. Roll

Date Presented 04/04/19 This study examined whether sleep quality is associated with hand function above and beyond what can be explained by pain and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) severity to hand function in clients with CTS. Manual Ability Measure-20, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Pain Visual Analogue Scale, and Electromyography for CTS diagnosis and severity level were measured outcomes in 53 participants. Sleep quality was significantly associated with manual ability after controlling for CTS severity and pain. Primary Author and Speaker: Angela Goorman Additional Authors and Speakers: Colleen Schneck, Doris Pierce Contributing Authors: Spencer Dawson

This article establishes and examines occupational therapists’ role in perinatal care and proposes a health promotion approach for new and expectant mothers. The author demonstrates the importance of maintaining meaningful occupational engagement during this critical life stage by incorporating evidence from orthopedic, rehabilitation, and hand therapy research. New and expectant mothers are at high risk for upper extremity (UE) conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, and tendinosis of the UE. Occupational therapists with basic knowledge of hand therapy are well prepared to manage these conditions conservatively. An occupation-based model and framework are presented to ensure a holistic view of the target population. Topics pertinent to this population include postural techniques, repetitive tasks, patient education, and strengthening related to the perinatal period.

This study investigated the effects of wearing a wrist support splint for 8 wk and receiving a formal education program on patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), as well as factors associated with patients’ desire to seek surgical intervention. Participants were recruited from a hospital surgical wait list and randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 24). Significant improvements in measures of symptom severity and functional status over the duration of the study appeared in the intervention group but not in the control group. Logistic regression for the intervention group showed that symptom severity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.20–1.93]), functional deficits (OR = 1.31, 95% CI [1.08–1.57]), pain score (OR = 1.25, 95% CI [1.11–1.61]), and symptom duration (OR = 1.11, 95% CI [1.01–1.24]) were positively associated with the desire to seek surgical intervention. This conservative CTS treatment program conducted by occupational therapists can improve symptoms and hand function in CTS patients.