Management of upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders

Abstract

1. Elements critical to a successful medical management program include cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) surveillance, conditioning and rehabilitation programs, and familiarity with OSHA recordkeeping requirements, in addition to recognition, evaluation, and treatment. 2. Occupational health care providers (HCPs) can identify high risk departments, production lines, or jobs through the passive and/or active surveillance systems. 3. The HCP should perform a CTD evaluation of employees assigned to jobs with known ergonomic hazards or areas found to have CTD problems by the surveillance system. These evaluations should consist of a medical and occupational history, and a physical examination of the upper extremities. 4. The treatment algorithm emphasizes that a) symptomatic employees need follow up to determine the effectiveness of the prescribed treatments, b) employees with severe symptoms, positive physical findings, or disorders resistant to treatment need to be referred to a physician for further evaluation, and c) conservative therapy deserves an adequate trial before surgical intervention is contemplated.