Postoperative Functional Recovery After Carpal Tunnel Release: A Narrative Review on Exercise-Based Rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Neurosurgery
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Carpal tunnel release surgery effectively treats carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.
• Postoperative hand function recovery is highly variable and not fully explained by surgery alone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review literature on functional recovery after carpal tunnel release.
• To emphasize functional outcomes, rehabilitation strategies, and exercise interventions.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing studies on carpal tunnel release outcomes.
• Synthesis of evidence regarding functional deficits and rehabilitation approaches.

Main Results:

• Surgical decompression improves sensory symptoms but often leads to delayed and inconsistent recovery of hand strength and function.
• Early mobilization is safe but insufficient for persistent strength, coordination, or endurance deficits.
• Exercise-based rehabilitation (nerve gliding, strengthening) is promising but lacks robust evidence due to study design variability.

Conclusions:

• Functional recovery after carpal tunnel release is multifactorial.
• Exercise-based rehabilitation is a potentially modifiable factor for optimizing recovery.
• Further well-designed prospective studies are needed to establish the role of rehabilitation in improving outcomes.