This week Russell Worth solicitors have launched a dedicated site for those who’ve developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from repetitive tasks at work. The website: www.carpal-tunnelsyndrome.co.uk provides sufferers information on the latest cures, treatments as well as causes of the condition.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common condition where the a nerve called the median nerve gets compressed in the Carpal Tunnel causing numbness, pain and tingling in the hands and fingers. This pressure is caused by a build-up of fluid in the tunnel and increased pressure on the tissue and small bones in the hand. The symptoms of Carpal Tunnel is made more intense by constant flexing of the fingers and wrist
The symptoms of CTS normally affect the index finger, middle finger, half of the ring finger and the thumb. The median nerve runs through the carpal tunnel and is linked to the base of the wrist to the middle of the palm and fingers. If compressed the carpal tunnel which is runs through, it often affects the thumb, fingers and palm.
It is not fully understood why, but women who are pregnant suffer the most from carpal tunnel. According to the NHS, CTS is more prevalent in women than men in the UK, impacting three percent of men and twenty percent of women . Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is also more common the older you get. However a proportion of sufferers develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after working with vibrating tools, working on assembly lines and after working as a labourer.
I Think I’ve Developed CTS Comes From My Job
If you have a job that requires repetitive tasks with your hands or fingers or exposes you to vibration equipment or tools and you feel that you could be suffering with carpal tunnel, you should seek advice from your GP and contact Russell Worth solicitors today about a claim for compensation. If you experience any of the symptoms for carpal tunnel such as numbness, tingling or decreased grip strength you should speak to your doctor as soon as possible about arranging a test for CTS.
Can I Claim Compensation for CTS
Developing Carpal Tunnel because of your job can be a frustrating. It may well you stop you carrying out simple jobs at work which can affect your performance at work.
If you already have Carpal Tunnel the job you do may make it more painful and debilitating to live with. We’ve helped people who work in occupations that require repetitive hand movements, such as manual lifting, sewing and workers on assembly lines.
An employer in the UK, has a responsibility of care to protect their employees from side effects of their work. If an employee’s health and safety is neglected or a pre-existing condition such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is exacerbated, whether in their current job or with a previous company, sufferers may be able to make a claim for compensation for their carpal tunnel.
Our expert occupational disease and injuries team of solicitors understand the affect that having CTS has on their quality of life and ability to carry out their job affectively. This is why whenever we take on a claim for CTS, we ensure that we obtain as much compensation as possible, as quick as possible.
Protecting Yourself & Others
Workers can protect themselves from developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by carrying out stretches , taking frequent breaks and performing repetitive tasks whilst wearing wrist splints at work. Wearing fingerless gloves can also help keep your hands and fingers warm and flexible for labourers working outside or in refrigerated meat and food packing factories.
It may not be possible to simply protect yourself from developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by avoiding certain types of work. The connection between repetitive work activities and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is often blurred because non-occupational factors, such as family history and medical conditions may play a much more significant role in determining whether or not an individual will develop carpal tunnel than work-related factors. However, when a job involves repetitive tasks, your employer should put into place safeguards to stop the exacerbation of your carpal tunnel or for preventing CTS developing in the first place. Your employer should carry out risk assessment workspace and job and identify any problems that may cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or make your symptoms worse. For example employers of office workers with Carpal Tunnel Syndome maybe given ergonomic keyboards, computer mice, lumbar and foot support and any equipment needed to alleviate stress to your hands and wrists.
If you have not been provided with adequate safeguards against Carpal Tunnel you then could make a claim for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome compensation. Call one of our industrial disease about a claim for your symptoms – call FREE 0800 028 2060 or fill in a claim form .
What are the causes of my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
It the nerve is squeezed in the carpal tunnel it runs through, then it can make the symptoms worse. This often involved operating vibrating tools or continuously flexing the wrist at work. However, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that put pressure on the nerve rather than a problem with the nerve itself. Causes often include:
- Damage to the wrist (e.g. a bad sprain)
- An over active pituitary gland
- Mechanical problems in the wrist joint
- Exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis
- Repetitive tasks and stress on the wrists
- Operating power tools
What Jobs Are at Risk?
Its not fully known why the median nerve becomes compressed. It is often linked to: diabetes, family history, pregnancy and injuries to the wrist. However, jobs or activities that involve repetitive wrist movements and constant use of your fingers and operating with vibrating tools can bring on the development of the symptoms of Carpal tunnel.
Jobs that involve vibrating tools and repetitive wrist and hand moments include:
- Workers on Assembly lines
- Long Distance Lorry Drivers
- Factory Machinists
- Painting and Decorators
- Sewing Machinists
- Manual Labourers
- Maunal labourers using vibration tools
- Packers & Couriers
If you’ve been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel by your Doctor and feel it’s as a direct result of your work, then you need to call us on 0800 122 31 30 to see if you can make a claim compensation for your carpal tunnel.
What Treatments are Available for Carpal Tunnel?
Because the symptoms of CTS are most felt in the evening and at bedtime, wearing a splint at night can help. Using a working splint in the daytime can also help with the symptoms. A day-time splint is especially useful if you work with your hands or complete repetitive jobs. Your doctor or an occupational therapist will be able to recommend a suitable splint to wear.
Your doctor may be able to give you a Steroid injection directly into the wrist to relieve pressure on the nerve and provide temporary relief for some severe.
Otherwise Your doctor also be able to suggest taking anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and other nonprescription pain relievers , to reduce the inflammation around the wrist and relieve the symptoms for a short time.
Stretching and exercising your wrists can also help people who have severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. For typists, manual workers and assembly line workers these exercises maybe useful:
- Make a loose fist, palm up and use your left hand to press lightly down against the clenched hand.
- Clench the fingers of one hand into a tight fist, then release fanning out your fingers. Repeat this five times.
- Bend your thumb to beneath your little finger and hold for 5 seconds then spread your fingers apart (with your palm up) for five seconds. Repeat ten times per hand.
- Squeeze your shoulders back, then down and then forwards.
- Carefully pull your thumb out and back and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times for each hand.
For most sufferers with severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, surgery is often their only option There are two main options of surgery: open release and keyhole surgery.
Open release surgery is the traditional procedure that can correct CTS. It involves a surgeon making a 2 inch incision in the wrist and then cutting the carpal ligament to enlarge the carpal tunnel. Although Open Release Surgery sounds complicated, it can often be performed as an out-patient, under local anesthesia. The recovery time for open hand release surgery can take up to 6 weeks following the operation.
The time to recover for keyhole or endoscopic surgery is much shorter and only involves making two small incisions in the palm and wrist and inserting an endoscope to cut the carpal ligament. This surgery is also performed under local anesthetic and minimises the scarring around the wrist as well as post-op pain.
Diagnosing Carpal Tunnel
Diagnosing and treating CTS early is important to stop long lasting injury to your hands and fingers. There are a number of ways that carpal tunnel can be diagnosed that will mean that a sufferer can get the best treatment for their symptoms.
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A doctor or occupational therapist can perform two tests:
- Tinel’s Test – A doctor will tap your wrist, over the median nerve. The Tinel’s Test is positive when you feel a shock like sensation or tingling in your fingers
- Phalen’s Test – This test involves bending your palm towards your arm and holding it for a minute. Carpal tunnel is present if tingling or increasing numbness is felt in the fingers within one minute
Sometimes it is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of the physical assessment using a test called an eletrodiagnostic test. In this test electrodes are placed on the wrist and hand and a small electric current are applied and the reaction of the nerve is measured. An Ultrasound scan may further confirm that the is inflamed and that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is present.
The Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel
The symptoms of carpal tunnel tend to be worse at night and will often disturb your sleep. The symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome causes pain and numbness in your hand. The symptoms tend to come slowly in a period of weeks, with the symptoms worse in the middle finger, thumb and index finger. Sometimes someone with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can experience an ache all the way up the arm and to their neck and shoulder.
People who suffer may not normally notice their symptoms in the day and may not feel all of the symptoms. However, operating power or vibrating tools, working on an assembly line or manual lifting can bring on the symptoms.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is particularly bad for people with manual jobs as CTS tends to make the hand feel numb and weak, causing sufferers to drop things more frequently or have trouble with basic manual tasks with their fingers and hands.