Effects of Ergonomics on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Effects of Ergonomics on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Introduction

Ergonomics applies principles of biology, psychology, anatomy and physiology to suppress the workplace that can lead to situations in worker discomfort, fatigue or ill health. Can be used ergonomics to prevent a job is poorly designed, tools or workplaces. Ergonomics could simply be explained as the science which studies relationships and behaviors of the human beings in their workplaces, it has a practical objective for pursuing the adaption of working conditions regarding certain physiological and psychological characteristics of the human beings. Most of the applications of ergonomics can be used for the promotion of wellness, along with protecting the health of the human beings at the workplace through improved working conditions (North Carolina Ergonomics Resource Center, 1997).

Effects of Ergonomics on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

For individuals who spend an extensive amount of time while working at their desks in the office such as; answering the incoming phone calls and making outgoing phone calls, typing documents on the computer, along with doing some general office work, all of these includes repeated motions that occurs on the human wrists which often becomes the reason of carpal tunnel syndrome. Given that, the major cause carpal tunnel syndrome is the repetitive strain on the wrists while performing different working tasks at the office. It was observed that a change in the environment of the workplace might be immensely helpful for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, because using certain techniques of ergonomics might be helpful in providing a comfortable environment at the workplace; there are very low chances of development of symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (Johnson, 1997).

Carpal tunnel syndrome

The carpal tunnel is a small tunnel, which is found at the pedestal of the palm of the hand. It is bordered by the little wrist bones and a thick ligament called the retinaculum. Inside this space, there is the median nerve and the tendons that bend the fingers and the thumb. The tendons are protected by a synovium sheath. When these get inflamed, this may put pressure on the median nerve (Conway, S., & Bautch, 1993).

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is considered to be one of the most widespread entrapment neuropath which is caused due to the firmness of the nucleus nerve present in the wrist. The classical neurological textbook will tell you that the symptoms caused by carpal tunnel syndrome are localized to the typical median nerve innervations territory in the hand, which involves the first three and half of the forth finger. Fact is however, that up to 70% of patients with CTS have symptoms outside the typical median nerve territory (John J. Triano, Nancy C. Selby, 2008)

Diagnosis

Following are the list of test conducted by doctors for the determination of carpal tunnel syndrome:

Physical examination

It involves the testing of feeling in the patient's fingers along with the muscles strength of the hand, as the muscles mostly get affected by carpal tunnel syndrome

X-Ray

In some cases doctors might also suggest taking an x-ray of ...