Carpal Tunnel SyndromeWritten by Dr. Michael L. Johnson
People who do repetitive tasks - housewives, secretaries, meat cutters, assembly line workers, carpenters, musicians, computer users and others - may be more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Fractures, falls on hand, and poorly designed vibrating hand tools may also damage palm of hand and cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Other causes are rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, Paget's bone disease, multiple myeloma, acromegaly and gout.Your carpal (wrist) bones form a tunnel-like structure - carpal tunnel - through which pass nine tendons and one nerve - medical nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome (also called occupational neuritis, partial thenar atrophy and median neuritis) occurs when median nerve is irritated. Carpal tunnel syndrome is so common that it has been called "occupational disease of 1990s." The relationship between spinal health and carpal tunnel has been documented by a number of individuals who found spinal nerve root irritation in patients who had carpal tunnel or ulnar neuropathy. Others have found that nerve compression in neck can block flow of nutrients to nerves in wrist, making wrist more susceptible to injury. This problem is called "double crush syndrome." Not surprisingly, when 1,000 cases of carpal tunnel syndrome were investigated, it was found that a large number of those suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome also had arthritis in neck area.
| | Work/Repetitive Stress InjuriesWritten by Dr. Michael L. Johnson
Millions of people are suffering from all types of job injuries ranging from stress of working in a bad position to improper lifting or carrying to falls and other trauma. Among most common on-the-job injuries is spinal injury.That's one of reasons why 85 percent of population will experience disabling low back pain at least once during their lives! That's almost all of us. The problem is so bad that at any one time, according to one researcher, 6.8% on U.S. adult population is suffering from an episode of back pain lasting more than two weeks, with estimated cost of lower back problems in U.S. being over $50 billion a year. Workers' compensation plans reveal that more than twice as many claims are filed for back "sprains and strains" than any other category of injury. Although 30% of all claims are for back problems, chronic (long term) nature of these conditions gives rise to 60% of all compensation pain. The standard medical approach to back pain varies depending on severity of condition. Usually muscle relaxers, painkillers and rest are prescribed, sometimes in conjunction with traction, diathermy, ultrasound, hot packs, and other procedures. Surgery may be resorted to if all else fails. The medical approach is at times necessary. Surgery, however, has its attendant problems. Many people who have had back surgery report a recurrence of their symptoms within a year or two of operation and may return to operating table. In some cases surgery makes no difference whatsoever.
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