Workplace accidents happen more frequently than what some may expect. Typically, the media only covers work related injuries that happen because of severe or shocking accidents. But in reality, the injuries that do not reach the news are far more common and can also be debilitating. In New York as well as across the country, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is said to be the number one occupational hazard since the introduction of the personal computer in the workplace.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can cause pain in one’s wrist and hand. The problem and resulting pain begins at the point in one’s wrist where the nerves from the forearm go through the wrist and become the nerves of the hand. Often times, the passageway is too tight and it squeezes or pinches the median nerve, resulting in symptoms of carpal tunnel.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel can vary in intensity and exact location, but the symptoms always include pain, numbness or weakness in the hand or wrist area. Typing is a major cause of carpal tunnel, but it is not the leading cause, as most would believe. Jobs that require the use of high impact or vibration equipment such as jackhammers have increased risk of carpal tunnel. Women, smokers and overweight persons are also at an increased risk of getting carpal tunnel.
Even though cases of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome do not often reach the news, it is a painful condition that affects thousands of working Americans. While it can be treatable for some people without surgery, some people may have to turn to surgery to relieve their symptoms. If one develops Carpal Tunnel Syndrome due to one’s job in New York, one could be entitled to workers’ compensation which could help pay for one’s surgery and missed wages.
Source: mysuncoast.com, “The facts about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,” June 27, 2013