Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Cont.)

Risk Factors for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Although there are no specific carpal tunnel syndrome causes, there are certain factors that can increase the risk of developing the condition. Some of these carpal tunnel syndrome risk factors include:
 
  • Trauma or injury to the wrist that causes swelling, such as a sprain or fracture
  • Overactivity of the pituitary gland
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Diabetes
  • Gout
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Mechanical problems in the wrist joint
  • Work stress
  • Repeated use of vibrating hand tools (such as from a jackhammer or chainsaw)
  • Fluid retention during pregnancy
  • Hormonal changes, including menopause
  • Development of a cyst or tumor in the canal
  • Obesity (see BMI Calculator to find your ideal weight).
     
Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, perhaps because the carpal tunnel itself may be smaller in women than in men. The dominant hand is usually affected first and produces the most severe pain. Carpal tunnel syndrome usually occurs only in adults. The risk also appears to increase with age.
 
The risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is not confined to people in a single industry or job, but is especially common in those performing assembly-line work -- manufacturing; sewing; finishing; cleaning; and meat, poultry, or fish packing. In fact, carpal tunnel syndrome is three times more common among assemblers than among data-entry personnel. A 2001 study by the Mayo Clinic found that heavy computer use (up to seven hours a day) did not increase a person's risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
 

Do Repetitive Movements Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

There is little clinical data to prove whether repetitive and forceful movements of the hand and wrist during work or leisure activities can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Repeated motions performed in the course of normal work or other daily activities can result in repetitive motion disorders, however, such as bursitis and tendonitis.
 
Writer's cramp -- a condition in which a lack of fine motor skill coordination and ache and pressure in the fingers, wrist, or forearm is brought on by repetitive activity -- is not a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome.
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD