Risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) affects an estimated two million people each year and accounts for the highest average number of lost workdays of all of the musculoskeletal disorders. CTS can occur in phlebotomists, transcriptionists, and those who do a lot of manual pipetting. In a supplement to CTDNews in April 2008, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons reported that diseases or conditions that may increase a person’s chances of developing CTS include:

• Pregnancy: CTS occurs in 20-45% of all pregnancies; however, it typically disappears after childbirth.
• Diabetes: People with diabetes or other metabolic disorders that directly affect the body’s nerves and make them more susceptible to compression are also at high risk
• Menopause
• Broken or dislocated bones in the wrist
• Obesity
• Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis and renal failure may lead to an increase in pressure within the carpal tunnel
• Age: CTS usually occurs only in adults and increases with age for women

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, women are also three times more likely than men to develop CTS. Researches believe that this may be the case because the carpal tunnel itself may be smaller in women than in men.