The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently released new information about carpal tunnel syndrome that may interest many Denver employees. The study was based on information from the National Health Interview Survey and found that nearly 70 percent of adults with carpal tunnel syndrome developed the condition at work. Because the vast majority of Colorado employees with carpal tunnel syndrome can point to something at work, whether it was excessive typing, hand placement or the tools with which they do their job, they can file workers’ compensation claims for their chronic pain.
An official from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has also said that carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the leading reasons why people apply for workers’ compensation. The condition also greatly affects employees’ ability to be productive and how much time it takes to complete a task. According to a study published by a journal on occupational medicine, carpal tunnel syndrome can often be prevented by simply changing how tasks are done and the environment in which employees work.
Interestingly, men are less likely to develop work-related carpal tunnel syndrome than women.
The CDC has also recently published data that within the last year, approximately 3.1 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 64 who are currently employed were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Some of the more common work-related activities that cause carpal tunnel syndrome are typing or repetitive motions that require a certain degree of force.
For more information, please read this previous post on carpal tunnel syndrome and workers’ compensation.
Source: Medical Daily, “CDC Survey: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Mostly Linked to Work,” Adam Daley, Dec. 23, 2011
