A Comparative Study of Glove Use on Carpal Tunnel Pressure Relief During Manual Wheelchair Operation
Date Approved
1-16-2026
Graduate Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Engineering (M.S.E.)
Degree Program
School of Engineering
First Advisor
Yunju Lee
Second Advisor
Wendy Reffeor
Third Advisor
Jeanine Beasley
Academic Year
2025/2026
Abstract
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment condition and is caused by the compression of the median nerve in the hand. CTS is very common in the manual wheelchair population due to the excessive force and unnatural moments the users must apply to the hand rim to propel themselves every day. During wheelchair mobility, high-pressure and vibration forces are applied to the carpal tunnel. These forces are considered to be common causes of CTS, along with repeated flexion and extension, and radial and ulnar deviations of the wrist. The objective of the study was to determine the pressure applied to both the carpal tunnel area and the isolated median nerve area during three different wheelchair maneuvers. The study also assessed whether SHOCK-TEK™ gloves provided a significant reduction in the applied pressure at the carpal tunnel or median nerve areas compared to weight-lifting gloves and bare hands. The study consisted of three different maneuvers: pressure relief, forward push, and backward push. The maneuvers were repeated as necessary until three consistent high-quality trials were completed. The SHOCK-TEK™ gloves provided a significant reduction in pressure in the median nerve region when compared to bare hands for the pressure relief maneuver which was consistent with the technology advertised for the gloves. For the carpal tunnel region, the workout gloves had a statistically significant reduction during the pressure relief maneuver. The forward push and backward push both had no statistically significant differences between the gloved conditions. This suggests a need for more research into pressure reduction technology to ensure that there is substantial reduction of risk of carpal tunnel syndrome for wheelchair users throughout all movements.
ScholarWorks Citation
Olmstead, Kathleen, "A Comparative Study of Glove Use on Carpal Tunnel Pressure Relief During Manual Wheelchair Operation" (2026). Masters Theses. 1171.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/1171
