CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME AND OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF REPETITION
You found something you were good at and you stuck with it. That should pay off, right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Jobs that require repetitive movement are prone to a wide variety of painful and expensive conditions, such as:
Tendonitis. Inflammation of a tendon, the fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone.
Bursitis. Inflammation of the bursa sac, whose purpose it is to protect the space between tendon and bone.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Another condition that stems from repetitive motion is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). People experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome most commonly have pain, numbness and weakness in one or both of their hands or wrists. These symptoms are the result of compression of the median nerve passing between the hand and the wrist.
What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
While some lifestyle factors may predispose you, the jobs listed below exacerbate the problem:
Assembly work
Construction
Manufacturing
In a 2006 study, researchers found “…reasonable evidence that regular and prolonged use of hand-held vibratory tools increases the risk of CTS two-fold and found substantial evidence for similar or even higher risks from prolonged and highly repetitious flexion and extension of the wrist, especially when allied with a forceful grip.”
Getting Help
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important that you see a physician right away. There are certain lifestyle and workplace changes that could result in improvement of the condition. In addition, the state’s workers’ compensation program is available to repay you for damages, although challenging to navigate without experienced help.