Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cases Decline
Posted on: Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 09:00 CDT
FORT WORTH, Texas -- It was the bane of white-collar workers for much of the 1990s.
Carpal tunnel syndrome struck fear into countless cubicle-dwellers, who fretted over their keyboards, donned wrist braces and adjusted chairs incessantly to fend off the dreaded condition.
Then, somewhere along the way, the painful syndrome disappeared from center stage, becoming far less prevalent as employers revamped their workplaces to prevent injuries. Or maybe frustrated workers gave up reporting their experiences. Or maybe the illness's pervasiveness was overstated in the first place.
It's unclear why carpal tunnel syndrome gets less attention from today's work force, although the condition has always been steeped in controversy, Fort Worth ergonomist Bill Barbre said.
"Carpal tunnel syndrome was supposed to be the asbestos of the '90s," he said. "People were hearing that, potentially, just normal computer work was an insidious health hazard."
The bottom line: The number of carpal tunnel injuries that kept people away from work plunged to 13,010 in 2006, down 66 percent from 1994, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Although some studies have shown that repetitive hand movements do contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome, others have linked the condition to a variety of additional risk factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure, hormonal changes, arthritis, thyroid problems and pregnancy, Barbre said.
The syndrome generally seems to go hand-in-hand with several workplace situations. Oftentimes, for example, more injuries are reported when morale is low or when employers boost their workers' awareness about the condition, Barbre said.
"Some of that is, maybe, a hypersensitivity to what may be normal, kind of fatigue-related factors of life," he said.
Full-fledged carpal tunnel syndrome doesn't appear to be any more common in people who work on computers, Barbre said. But that doesn't mean that the condition isn't real and harmful.
Alice Collini, a certified hand therapist at Arlington Memorial Hospital in Arlington, Texas, said carpal tunnel syndrome may be less worrisome for workers today because they're more familiar with the condition and may be better able to catch problems before they become serious.
Twenty years ago, many syndrome sufferers didn't seek treatment until their condition had progressed to severe pain and even wasting away of muscles.
"I don't see that as much anymore," Collini said.
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TIPS FOR AVOIDING INJURY AT WORK
Place top of computer monitor at or just below eye level.
Keep head and neck balanced and in line with your torso.
Keep elbows close to the body and supported.
Support your lower back.
Keep your wrists and hands in line with forearms.
Keep mouse right next to keyboard to avoid reaching.
Try to keep your work at elbow height, either by lowering the keyboard or by raising your chair.
Put your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest.
Make small adjustments to your chair all day.
Use a hands-free headset or speakerphone.
Persistent hand tingling or numbness? Talk to your doctor.
Source: OSHA and Barbre Ergonomics
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WHAT IS CARPAL-TUNNEL SYNDROME?
The median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand inside a narrow passageway known as the carpal tunnel, becomes squeezed at the wrist. Symptoms, which often appear in one or both hands at night, include burning, tingling or itching numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb and the index and middle fingers.
Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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