Busted!- The computer myth about carpal tunnel syndrome-Blog 4b

There is a widely believed in myth that computer use can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. But a recent series of studies completed by experts at Harvard Medical School say this is not the case.





What is carpal tunnel syndrome and what are the physical causes of it?


"The carpal tunnel is formed from a U-shaped cluster of eight bones at the base of your palm. A strong ligament arches across these bones, providing a roof for the tunnel. Within it lies the so-called median nerve, which travels all the way from the spinal cord and controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and the fingers. This nerve also transmits impulses to hand muscles that move the fingers and thumb. When the tunnel narrows, it can create pressure that decreases blood supply to the nerve. This decreased blood supply results in the pain, weakness, and tingling that announce the syndrome." ("Computer Use Deleted As Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cause: More Common In Assembly Line Work")



The condition occurs in 2 %-3 % of adults and can usually be treated with splints or steroid injections, with some 200,000 carpal tunnel surgeries being performed in the US each year. It is often categorized as a "repetitive stress injury," which studies show is a misnomer as it is other factors and not repetitive stress that seem to be more closely linked to the development of the condition.

What factors truly impact the likelihood of having carpal tunnel syndrome?

• genetics


• women are more prone than men


• pregnancy (20%-60% of pregnant women have carpal tunnel syndrome but symptoms subside after pregnancy)


• weight (being overweight doubles the risk!)


• diabetes


• rheumatoid arthritis


• lupus


• thyroid problems


• connective tissue disorders


• previous bone dislocation or fracture

The article also gives ways to determine if you have carpal tunnel and ways to alleviate pain and ways to treat the issues causing the pain.

What's the Issue Here? For the purposes of this class, I thought the most interesting thing about this article is that technology has been "blamed" for carpal tunnel for many years, when in fact it is not directly responsible. I anticipated that carpal tunnel would be yet another issue that would make educators hesitant to require extensive use of computers, like that of the time required to use digital textbooks or e-books. In fact, in the Harvard study, it was discovered that even as much as 7 hours a day on the computer did not impact the likelihood that one would have carpal tunnel syndrome. What a relief! Our students' hands are safe to type away!!

This article had particular interest for me because my cousin just had carpal tunnel surgery. She has some of the factors that the article listed as true factors that lead to carpal tunnel as well as a family history of several more.

What're we gonna do? I anticipated that the solution to this issue would be to modify time spent on the computer, but it turns out that the best way to deal with this health issue is to continue to educate ourselves!