In this increasingly modern workplace, it is more and more common for Colorado workers to be in front of a computer typing. The more pressure that is put on the hand and wrist, however, the greater the risk that an employee will develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is an occupational disease that is caused by repetitive work of the hands, fingers and wrists. It is a chronic condition and a repetitive injury, and, luckily, it is covered by Colorado workers’ compensation benefits.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is also an extremely expensive condition. Until an employee is diagnosed with this sometimes crippling disease, the painful syndrome causes many people to miss work. While many employees may be concerned about how much work they need to miss because of carpal tunnel syndrome, the U.S. Department of Labor records numerous workers’ compensation lawsuits filed and millions of dollars in benefits paid each year.
The cause of the condition is the repetitive pressure on the median nerve in the wrist. As the pressure continues, an employee’s fingers and hands will become weak, tingle or become numb. After the pain becomes too intense to work, many employees are forced to get a carpal tunnel release procedure. An endoscopic surgery is less invasive and employees can return to work faster than with the more traditional open surgery.
If you have developed carpal tunnel syndrome after years of typing, driving or using tools, it is important to talk to an experienced workers’ compensation attorney about your legal right to compensation. An employer cannot expect its workers to cover all the costs of their medical conditions, especially the ones that the workplace caused.
Source: Norwich Bulletin, “Healthy Living: Carpal tunnel syndrome is treatable yet expensive condition,” Thomas Cherry, Dec. 12, 2011
