Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Does it Begin on the Job?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the name of the condition that occurs when the median nerve that runs from arm into the hand becomes squeezed at the wrist. The name comes from the carpal tunnel which is a narrow place of ligaments and bones at the base of the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome can result in pain, weakness or numbness in the hand and arm.
How common is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Many Americans suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome every year. While the number of carpal tunnel syndrome cases that required workers to miss work peaked in the early 1990s, more than 26,700 cases still required people to miss work in 2001.
Figure 2-45. Number of CTS cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual number of CTS cases involving days away from work declined 18.9% during this period-from 33,042 cases in 1992 to 26,794 cases in 2001. CTS cases reached a high of 41,019 cases in 1993.
(Sources: BLS [2003a,b].)
It has been suggested that the number has decreased because the condition is now being properly diagnosed and employers are making efforts to prevent the condition from developing in their employees.
Workers in certain professions are much more likely than others to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Those professions include operators, fabricators, laborers, technical, sales and administrative support staff.
Figure 2-51. Distribution and number of CTS cases involving days away from work in private industry by occupation, 2001.
In 2001, the majority of CTS cases requiring days away from work (18,952 cases or 70.9%) occurred among two occupational groups: operators, fabricators, and laborers and technical, sales, and administrative support workers. Precision production, craft, and repair workers constituted 15.6% (4,172) of the overall CTS cases.
(Sources: BLS [2003a,b]; Booth-Jones et al. [2003b].)
Manufacturing is, by far, the industry with the greatest incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome among its workers.
Figure 2-52. Incidence rate of CTS cases by private industry sector, 2001. Private industry reported a CTS incidence rate of 3.0 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2001. The rates for manufacturing (6.5 or 11,240 cases) and for finance, insurance, and real estate (3.2 or 2,204 cases) both exceeded the private-sector rate.
(Sources: BLS [2003a,b]; Booth-Jones et al. [2003b].)
What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The causes of carpal tunnel syndrome are often disputed. Some studies conclude that repetitive motion has little do with the development of the injury and that, instead, genetics and other diseases and disorders are the primary contributing factors.
However, a look at the types of job activities in California that were performed by workers with carpal tunnel syndrome suggests a different result.
The job activity of computing (using a computer) had the highest level of carpal tunnel syndrome suffers for three years in a row (1998-2000).
Figure 2-55. Number of CTS cases in California by type of job activity, 1998-2000. Among the cases sampled, computing (data entry) activities consistently accounted for nearly half of all CTS cases in California for each of the 3 years during 1998-2000. Cases involved with reaching and twisting, computing (customer service), and handwriting increased from 1998 to 2000.
(Source: Harrison and Flattery [2002a].)
Similarly, the highest number of carpal tunnel syndrome cases in California during the same time period was among technical, sales and administrative support staff.
Figure 2-54. Number of CTS cases in California by occupation, 1998-2000. For each year during this period, technical, sales, and administrative support occupations consistently accounted for a disproportionately large number of CTS cases in California-nearly three times the number accounted for by other occupations. The number of CTS cases decreased during this period for four of the seven occupational groups.
(Source: Harrison and Flattery [2002a].)
Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
There are several options available for treating carpal tunnel syndrome. The first course of treatment may include physical therapy, heat and massage. If a patient still experiences pain, numbness or weakness then a splint or brace might be suggested. Anti-inflammatory drugs may also be suggested. More severe cases may require cortisone injections or surgery.
Carpal tunnel is a painful and often debilitating syndrome that affects many workers in the United States and causes them to miss many days of work each year. Therefore, it is important for doctors to accurately diagnosis and effectively treat the condition.
