The effects of thumb manipulation on hand grip strength, function and sense in healthy individuals

The aim of the study is to examine the effects of thumb manipulation on hand grip strength, function and sensation in healthy individuals. In the study, a randomized controlled clinical trial model, which includes evaluation methods in three different time periods, was used. 60 volunteers between the ages of 18-50 participated in the study at Ortadağ Special Education and Rehabilitation Center. After all cases were evaluated andropometrically, they were randomly divided into two groups as chiropractic manipulation group (n=30, 15 females, 15 males) and control group (n=30, 15 females, 15 males). A 4-week protocol was applied in the study. Thumb manipulation was applied to each participant in the chiropractic manipulation group twice a week, and the participants in the control group were not treated. Discriminator, hand dynamometer, pinchmeter and Duruöz Hand Index were used as assessment methods. Significance was evaluated at the p<0.05 level in the study. When we make a comparison within the group, there is a statistically significant difference in all parameters in the experimental group. In the control group, statistically significant differences were found in the measurements of right thumb two-point discrimination, left thumb two-point discrimination, right hand dynamometer, left hand dynamometer, left thumb pinchmeter, left index finger pinchmeter and left hand middle finger pinchmeter (p). <0.05). When we compared the groups, it was found that the chiropractic manipulation group was superior to the control group in all evaluation methods. We concluded that the manipulation method we applied in healthy individuals affected our parameters positively, and we think that future studies using similar parameters in patient groups will also benefit the literature. Keywords: Thumb Manipulation, Grip Strength, Chiropractic