Carpal Tunneling Into New Industries, Down In Others
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Carpal tunnel syndrome diagnoses are down dramatically among white collar workers, but up for blue collar occupations. From 2005 to 2006, carpal tunnel cases dropped 21 percent among white collar jobholders, but increased 39 percent among construction workers. Experts have varying theories about these figures.
One is that carpal tunnel syndrome was over-diagnosed for a number of years – in many ways it is similar to tendonitis, which may have been under-diagnosed.
Both often result from repetitive use of hand muscles. We checked medical sites to compare them.
In carpal tunnel, symptoms start gradually, with burning, tingling, itching or numbness in the hand and the fingers. Fingers may feel swollen and weak, though little or no swelling is apparent. Symptoms often appear first at night and may cause people to wake up wanting to "shake out" the hand or wrist. As symptoms progress, tingling may develop during the day. Grip strength may weaken so it’s difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects or perform other manual tasks, according to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
According to Web MD, treatment for carpal tunnel includes resting the hand and wrist and taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory meds. Doctors often suggest using a wrist splint. Using a splint at night may take care of it; if not, the splint may need to be worn during the day, too. Taking frequent breaks from repetitive hand and wrist actions is also advised, and exercises for hand and arm muscles may help.
Tendonitis (some people use tendinitis), again from Web MD, is more likely to present with straight pain, and is the result of tendons, which connect bone to muscle, becoming inflamed. It can occur to almost any joint, generally appears in people 40 or over and may develop gradually or appear suddenly. It may be associated with arthritis. Tendonitis can usually be treated with resting the joint, using ice and heat to reduce inflammation, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications.
If initial remedies don’t work, doctors can prescribe stronger medications and therapies. Surgery is a last resort, often prevented by early treatment.
In addition to diagnoses, experts think the following factors may relate to the decrease among office workers and increase among those who work primarily with their hands. in occupations such as construction:
Hand labor of any kind may contribute to either problem. In addition, computers are being used more in manual occupations, so workers get a double whammy of hand challenges.
Blue collar workers may traditionally have accepted more pain as natural.
Because it was diagnosed more often and earlier in offices, ergonomic measures such as keeping wrists below, rather than above keyboards; mouse pads with wrist support; monitors at eye level; and better chair designs diminish the strains that cause these conditions.