Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, RSI, Tennis Elbow and Golfer's Elbow

Resources and Links

These aliments are all involved problems. Although each can often be traced to common sources, it seems quite individual as to what will cause problems and what will help ease them in each person.

Two people can be working side by side on the same equipment doing the same job and one will develop a problem while the other will not. Or, if they both develop the same problem, one type of therapy will help one, but not the other. This is the same for both the white and blue collar work force.

Common primary symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include hand pain and/or numbness and often appear first at night waking you. Therapy options are usually rest first, then pain and anti inflammatory drugs, immobilization (with wrist splints) and finally surgery. But according to the National Safety Council active exercise is the most important modality used by hand therapists in conservative treatment. The Cats Paw is the exerciser for this job.

If you are experiencing symptoms related to the ailments above you should seek the advice of a qualified health professional. When you do, tell them about the Cats Paw because it is new and they may not know about it yet. Follow the links below for more information.

The Cats Paw won't help everybody, but it has proven to help 2 out of 3 people.

View the Cats Paw Ergonomic Hand Exerciser instructions.

Study Questions Use of Wrist Braces

By Lore Croghan, Knight-Ridder News Service, Santa Barbara News Press

Corporate America sees wrist braces as a cheap way to solve the expensive problem of repetitive wrist strain. They’re making a big mistake, a new study says.

Ninety-two percent of America’s industrial and service companies recommend wrist braces to alleviate workers’ wrist pain—but the braces may do little good or actually cause harm, says a survey released Monday by the Center for Workplace Health in Haverford, PA. In contrast, it says, only 30 percent of occupational-health-care providers recommend the use of wrist braces.

"Companies are desperate to deal with this problem," James Kinsella, editor of monthly newsletter CTDNews, said.

"Braces seem to provide a solution, at least temporarily," Kinsella said. ""What health professionals are saying is that it’s no solution. When you’re temporarily taking away the pain, you’re drawing attention away from the problem."

The Center for Workplace Health publishes CTDNews. The acronym stands for Cumulative Trauma Disorders, of which repetitive wrist injury is one.

Kinsella said he was surprised at how widely wrist braces are used to fight pain caused by workplace injury. Wrist braces are rigid wraps made of plastic, leather or metal that fit over the bottom of the hand and the back of the upper arm. They hold the wrist straight when moved. They typically cost between $20 and $30.

Made by a number of manufacturers, they are widely available at medical-supply stores. One company plans to begin selling them in grocery stores, Kinsella said.

Wrist pain affects millions of workers nationwide. They work in computer data-processing such as travel agencies, telemarketing or newspapers, or in manufacturing, construction and food processing.

Specifically, 1.89 million Americans suffer symptoms of the repetitive-strain wrist injury known as carpal tunnel syndrome, according to a CTDNews survey conducted last fall. And another 4 million American workers have tendonitis, many of them in their wrists and arms.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

It is one of the most common job-related injuries with more than two million visits to physicians’ offices every year. And, it is not just keyboard operators, factory workers and typists who are the most susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome also can occur in workers who jobs require holding objects such as barbers and bus drivers.

For more information on "Prevent Injuries America!," call the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ public service telephone number 1-800-824-BONES (2663).
Source: Housang Seradge, MD, etal, poster exhibit, 1996 Annual Meeting, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

National Statistics

1. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), repetitive strain injuries are the nation's most common and costly occupational health problem, affecting hundreds of thousands of American workers, and costing more than $20 billion a year in workers compensation.
2. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly two-thirds of all occupational illnesses reported, were caused by exposure to repeated trauma to workers upper body ( the wrist, elbow or shoulder ). One common example of such an injury is carpal tunnel syndrome.
3. The only national routine source of information on occupational injuries and illnesses experienced by U.S. workers is the Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The survey is a random sample of about 250,000 private sector establishments, but excludes the self-employed, farms with fewer than 11 employees, private households, and ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. -Statement of Lina Rosenstck, M.D., M.P.H. Director of National Institute For Occupational Safety And Health before the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Committee on Education and the Workforce-U.S. House of Representatives 5/21/97.
4. Musculoskeletal disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome, are among the most prevalent medical conditions in the U.S., affecting 7% of the population. They account for 14% of physician visits and 19% of hospital stays. 62% of the persons with musculoskeletal disorders report some degree of limitation on activity, compared with 14% of the population at large, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
5. 849,000 new cases of carpal tunnel syndrome occurred in 1994.-National Center for Health Statistics.
6. Approximately 260,000 carpal tunnel release operations are performed each year, with 47% of the cases considered to be work related.-National Center for Health Statistics.
7. Carpal tunnel syndrome results in the highest number of days lost among all work related injuries. Almost half of the carpal tunnel cases result in 31 days or more of work loss.-National Center for Health Statistics.
8. A report by NIOSH revealed that more than 50% of all food cashiers, (jobs predominantly held by women), suffered some degree of carpal tunnel syndrome and other forms of repetitive strain injuries as a result of the physical demands of scanning products at high speed.

For More information contact us at jgibney@catspaw.com or 1-800-CATSPAW