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

This randomized controlled study will aim to investigate the effects of thumb manipulation on hand grip strength, function, and sensation in healthy individuals. A total of 60 volunteers aged between 18 and 50 years will be recruited from Ortadağ Special Education and Rehabilitation Center. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a chiropractic manipulation group (n=30) or a control group (n=30), with an equal distribution of males and females in each group. The intervention group will receive thumb manipulation twice weekly for 4 weeks, while the control group will not receive any intervention. Outcome measures will include two-point discrimination (assessed with a discriminator), hand grip strength (measured using a dynamometer), pinch strength (evaluated with a pinch meter), and hand function (measured by the Duruöz Hand Index). Statistical analyses will be performed with a significance level set at p\<0.05. It is expected that participants in the manipulation group will show greater improvements in all measured parameters compared to the control group, suggesting a positive effect of thumb manipulation on hand-related sensorimotor functions in healthy individuals.

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.