Effects of Thumb Manipulation on Hand Grip Strength, Function, and Sensation

This study will be designed as a randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of thumb manipulation on hand grip strength, functional ability, and sensory parameters in healthy individuals. Sixty volunteers aged between 18 and 50 years will be recruited from Ortadağ Special Education and Rehabilitation Center. After anthropometric assessments, participants will be randomly assigned into two groups: a chiropractic manipulation group (n=30) and a control group (n=30), with equal numbers of males and females in each group. The intervention group will undergo thumb manipulation performed by a trained physiotherapist twice a week for four weeks. The control group will not receive any intervention during this period. All participants will be evaluated at baseline, at the end of the 4-week intervention, and at follow-up. Outcome measures will include: Hand grip strength, measured using a hand dynamometer, Pinch strength, assessed with a pinch meter on the thumb, index, and middle fingers, Two-point discrimination, evaluated on the thumbs using a discriminator tool, Hand function, assessed using the Duruöz Hand Index. This study will aim to determine whether a short-term thumb manipulation protocol can lead to measurable improvements in sensory and motor functions of the hand in a healthy population. The findings may provide a basis for future research involving clinical populations with hand dysfunction.