Recruiting

NMES & Mirror Therapy

Sponsor:

London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's

Code:

NCT05925673

Conditions

Distal Radius Fracture

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Mirror Therapy

Neuromuscular Stimulation (NMES)

Mirror Therapy + NMES

Study Details

Brief summary:

Current practice for distal radius fractures is to begin rehabilitation after immobilization to remediate the resulting impairments. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation and mirror therapy are strategies that integrate neurological and musculoskeletal activation, that may be beneficial for mitigating the resulting impairments if applied during immobilization. The study aim is to determine whether neuromuscular stimulation and mirror therapy interventions can be implemented during immobilization for distal radius fractures to minimize the resulting impairments when compared to standard rehabilitation.

Conditions

Distal Radius Fracture

Study ID

NCT05925673

Start date

Feb 9, 2024

Status verified date

Mar, 2024

Completion date

Aug, 2024

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun, 2024

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Sustained a distal radius fracture in the last 3 weeks being managed conservatively in a cast
  • Able to understand instructions in English
  • Able to give informed consent (no known cognitive impairment that would limit this)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Cognitive disorders that would preclude the participant from following instructions and engaging in the home interventions
  • Visual impairments that limit ability to engage in NMES and mirror therapy interventions
  • Superficial metal implants in the injured arm
  • Cancer (active)
  • Severe peripheral vascular disease
  • Thrombophlebitis in injured arm

Study Design

Enrollment

72 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Factorial

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

no intervention: Standard of Care

Participants will follow standard practice protocols at the Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre in London.

experimental: Mirror Therapy

Participants will engage in a home based mirror therapy intervention from 3 to 6 weeks post-fracture.

experimental: Neuromuscular Stimulation (NMES)

Participants will engage in a home based neuromuscular stimulation intervention from 3 to 6 weeks post-fracture.

experimental: Mirror Therapy + NMES

Participants will engage in a home based combined mirror therapy + neuromuscular stimulation intervention from 3 to 6 weeks post-fracture.

Interventions

Mirror Therapy

Participants will perform exercises with their unaffected arm in front of a mirror with the affected arm hiding behind the mirror. They will watch the reflection of the unaffected arm as they perform the exercises to provide visual feedback that the affected arm is performing the exercises. They will repeat this procedure for 10 minutes, 3 times a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks.

Neuromuscular Stimulation (NMES)

Participants will use a portable NMES machine to stimulate the wrist extensors and flexors of the affected arm at a low intensity with the arm relaxed. They will repeat this procedure for 10 minutes, 3 times a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks.

Mirror Therapy + NMES

Participants will perform exercises with their unaffected arm in front of a mirror with the affected arm hiding behind the mirror. They will watch the reflection of the unaffected arm as they perform the exercises to provide visual feedback that the affected arm is performing the exercises. During the exercises they will have a portable NMES machine set up to stimulate the wrist extensors and flexors of the affected arm at a low intensity with the arm relaxed. They will repeat this procedure for 10 minutes, 3 times a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks.

Primary outcome measure

  • Adherence [ Time Frame: 6 weeks post fracture ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Joy MacDermid, PhD

5196466100jmacderm@uwo.ca

Katrina Munro

5196466100katrina.munro@sjhc.london.on.ca

Locations

Roth | McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Center

Recruiting

London, Ontario, Canada, N6A4L6

More Information

Sponsor

London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's

Last update posted

Mar 25, 2024

Last verified

Mar, 2024

Keywords

  • Neuromuscular Stimulation
  • Mirror Therapy
  • Early Intervention

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's on 2024-03-25.