Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2011 Feb;25(1):15-29.
doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2011.01.014.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: the role of occupational factors

Affiliations
Review

Carpal tunnel syndrome: the role of occupational factors

Keith T Palmer. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2011 Feb.

Abstract

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a fairly common condition in working-aged people, sometimes caused by physical occupational activities, such as repeated and forceful movements of the hand and wrist or use of hand-held, powered, vibratory tools. Symptoms may be prevented or alleviated by primary control measures at work, and some cases of disease are compensable. Following a general description of the disorder, its epidemiology and some of the difficulties surrounding diagnosis, this review focusses on the role of occupational factors in causation of CTS and factors that can mitigate risk. Areas of uncertainty, debate and research interest are emphasised where relevant.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Croft P. Soft tissue rheumatism. In: Silman AJ, Hochberg MC, editors. Epidemiology of the Rheumatic Diseases. Oxford University Press; Oxford: 1993. pp. 399–408.
    1. Reading I, Walker-Bone K, Palmer KT, Cooper C, Coggon D. Anatomic distribution of sensory symptoms in the hand and their relation to neck pain, psychosocial variables and occupational activities. Am J Epidemiol. 2003;157:524–530. - PubMed
    1. Graham D, Dvali L, Regehr G, Wright JG. Variations in diagnostic criteria for carpal tunnel syndrome among Ontario specialists. Am J Ind Med. 2006;49:8–13. - PubMed
    1. Katz JN, Stirrat CR. A self-administered hand diagram for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. J Hand Surg [Am] 1990;15:360–3. - PubMed
    1. Bonauto DK, Silverstein BA, Fan ZJ, Smith CK, Wicox DN. Evaluation of a symptom diagram for identifying carpal tunnel syndrome. Occup Med. 2008;58:561–566. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms