Acute Clinical Effects of Dual-Task Resistance Exercise on Muscle Endurance and Pressure Sensitivity in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome After Surgery.

Study Summary

22 patients recovering from carpal tunnel release (CTR) completed both dual-task resistance exercise and single-task resistance exercise in a randomized crossover design separated by a 2-day washout period. The primary outcome of interest was muscular endurance, measured as the maximum number of repetitions to task failure for wrist flexion and extension. Secondary outcomes included pain intensity measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS), pressure pain threshold (PPT) at the affected and unaffected hands and lateral epicondyle, and associations with kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, self-efficacy, and perceived task difficulty. Outcomes were assessed immediately before and after exercise, with PPT additionally assessed 10 minutes after exercise. Overall, the results of the study revealed that dual-task exercise significantly increased repetitions to failure for wrist flexion and extension compared with single-task exercise, while pain reduction and PPT changes were similar between conditions. These findings suggested that cognitive distraction during resistance exercise may acutely improve exercise tolerance during early rehabilitation after CTR.