Riassunto dello studio

Thirty patients undergoing surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome were randomized to receive either pain neuroscience education plus a telerehabilitation program (PNE+PT; n=15) or a telerehabilitation program alone (PT; n=15). Outcomes of interest included pain on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), EuroQoL 5D (EQ-5D), Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), and the System Usability Scale (SUS). All outcomes were assessed at 6 and 12 weeks. Overall, the results indicated that there were no between-group differences in any outcome at all time points. There was, however, a significant difference in the self-perceived improvement score in the PNE+PT group after treatment. In addition, there were significant improvements in the PNE+PT group in pain intensity and catastrophizing but no between-group differences were noted. Therefore, this study demonstrates that there is a benefit of including PNE in telerehabilitation interventions for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.