Carpal Tunnel Not Caused by Repetitive Use

Most people are fairly certain that carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by repetitive hand use, such as typing on the computer a lot, playing tennis all day or repeated lifting movements with the wrist. After all, carpal tunnel is characterized by pain, numbness, weakness or tingling in the wrist, hand and arm, caused by the median nerve being constricted. Some doctors are even certain that repeated hand movements are the cause of carpal tunnel, but a new study suggests that carpal tunnel is due to genetics and not repetitive hand use.

The study, presented at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, used scientific criteria to analyze 117 published medial cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. They could not find enough supporting evidence to prove that carpal tunnel was caused by overuse of the hand and reported that biological factors were double that of occupational factors.

While many experts agree that genetics could be the leading cause, no one can say exactly what genetic factors are at play with carpal tunnel. They are speculating that it could be due to the structure of the wrists and hand, causing the meridian nerve to be pressed or pinched.

Even though the study shows a lot of evidence that carpal tunnel is genetic, there have been many mixed studies on this issue and medical opinions are still quite diverse.










Return to:

Social Security Disability Secrets

Social Security Disability Requirements



Other Posts and Pages

Eligibility for disability benefits
Disability Determination for Social Security Disability Benefits
Disability Decision - what happens if you win or lose?
Social Security Disability Depression and Mental Testing
Social Security Disability Interview - what it involves
Social security disability - letters and forms