Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Activities That Can Trigger Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

CTS can be triggered by long hours of poor posture (slouching, jutting the chin forward) and work that encourages the wrists to be bent up, in, or out. Activities that foster these conditions include:

  • Using vibrating tools
  • Cutting
  • Crocheting, knitting, sewing
  • Using hand tools, particularly those used for turning or twisting (screwdrivers, wrenches)
  • Bicycling, house cleaning, playing a stringed instrument, and other activities that can put pressure on the wrists
  • Typing at computer keyboards
  • Computer mouse pointing and clicking

Need to Know:

Typing, word processing, and data entry did not rank among the top 25 occupations for reported CTS.

Who Gets CTS Most Often?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported cases of CTS occur most often among workers in the following industries:

  • Meat packing
  • Knit underwear mills
  • Motor vehicles and car bodies
  • Household laundry equipment manufacturing
  • Poultry slaughtering and processing

Need to Know:

But in fact, many homemakers, who are not reflected in federal labor statistics, are more commonly treated for CTS.

Conditions That May Cause Similar Symptoms

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can be mimicked by those of other medical disorders, such as:

  • Arthritis of the neck, hand, or wrist
  • Circulation disorders
  • Nerve disorders, such as a trapped nerve at the inner elbow
  • Previous injuries to the wrist
  • Tendinitis (inflamed tendons) at the wrist

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