What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel is, not surprisingly, one of the ten most common workplace injuries. It happens to people across professions, whether they are engaging in manual labor or simple office work. If you or a loved one has ever suffered from carpal tunnel, chances are you know how painful and debilitating it can be.

Common signs of carpal tunnel syndrome include tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hand and arm. Once you start to feel these symptoms, you should immediately seek medical care.

Carpal tunnel is caused by pressure on the median nerve, which happens when the nerve is squeezed or compressed in the wrist. This median nerve runs through a pathway from your wrist to your hand, providing sensation to the palm side of your thumb and fingers. It delivers nerve signals to move the muscles at the base of your thumb. For this reason and others, carpal tunnel syndrome should not be taken lightly as it can cause severe damage.

Carpal Tunnel Symptoms

To know if you’re suffering from carpal tunnel, you should be aware of the symptoms. If you are experiencing any of the carpal tunnel signs listed below, it’s crucial to seek medical and legal help. An experienced personal injury lawyer at Mottaz & Sisk can help you with workers’ compensation and navigating other difficulties due to workplace injury. Anyone injured on the job, no matter if it happens instantaneously or over time, deserves benefits for their lost wages, medical bills, and other expenses.

Some of the most common symptoms of carpal tunnel include:

• Fingers “fall asleep” or become numb at night
• Numbness and tingling in the morning that reaches your shoulder
• Less grip strength as time goes on
• Weakness in your hand
• Tingling that moves up the arm
• Trouble holding things
• Shock-like feelings that move into your fingers
• Burning, tingling, or itching numbness in your thumb and palm or index and middle fingers

Thankfully, when the carpal tunnel is caught soon enough, it can be treated. If left untreated, your condition can worsen and even cause permanent damage. Using your hands, wrists, and fingers is vital and often essential for performing your job. Looking out for signs of carpal tunnel means that you can catch it and treat it right away.

If you do develop carpal tunnel syndrome due to workplace conditions, you should start the process of claiming a workplace injury immediately. Contact the personal injury attorneys at Mottaz & Sisk for help navigating this complicated legal process.

Common Causes of Carpal Tunnel

There are a variety of workplace conditions that can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Knowing what they are will help you identify practices to avoid repetitive movement and other causes of carpal tunnel. Unfortunately, many different laborers are prone to carpal tunnel syndrome due to the nature of their work. Even those in an office setting can develop carpal tunnel just from using a computer mouse.

While many causes of carpal tunnel can be identified, it can also develop for various reasons. Any action that irritates or squeezes the median nerve will cause it. Several other causes may not be work-related but can compound the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome, making the symptoms worse for you.

You should seek medical help if you are experiencing any symptoms. Listed below are a few of the different causes of carpal tunnel syndrome, some of which can be avoided now that you’re aware of them.

Repetitive hand use: making the same motions over and over again for an extended period will aggravate tenders, causing wrist swelling.

Workplace factors: work requiring prolonged or repetitive wrist flexing will create harmful pressure in the wrist, leading to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Heredity: the carpal tunnel is smaller in some people, and often anatomical differences run in families, making certain people more susceptible.

Pregnancy or menopause: swelling can be caused by hormonal changes.

Sex: carpal tunnel is more common in women because the wrist is typically smaller.

Medications: a drug used to treat breast cancer, anastrozole, has been linked to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Obesity: obese people have a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Other health conditions: unfortunately, diabetes, thyroid gland imbalance, kidney failure, lymphedema, and rheumatoid arthritis are all linked to a greater risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Jobs That Lead to Carpal Tunnel

There are several jobs that operate at a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. If you work in one of these fields, pay attention to the warning signs of carpal tunnel syndrome so that you can catch it early and seek medical help right away. If you miss work due to injury or can no longer function at your job, contact Mottaz & Sisk to speak with a personal injury lawyer about receiving workers’ comp benefits.

Some of the most common jobs where carpal tunnel is detected include:

• Cashier
• Sewer
• Mechanic
• Painter
• Locksmith
• Agricultural worker
• Assembly line worker
• Musician
• Typing or data entry
• Desk workers
• Jobs with repeated use of vibrating tools

The Team at Mottaz & Sisk Is Here for You

The team at Mottaz & Sisk Injury Law knows how painful and debilitating carpal tunnel can be. Depending on how severe your injury is and your recovery plan, you could be out of work for weeks or unable to perform tasks at an average speed. If you or a loved one are dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome due to workplace conditions, contact one of our experienced injury lawyers today. We will take full responsibility for your case, striving for the outcome you deserve.

Please fill out our contact request form today, and one of our experienced carpal tunnel attorneys will reach out right away. Together we will review your situation and what can be done, ensuring you have access to the benefits and compensation you deserve. Our knowledgeable personal injury lawyers will be with you every step of the way so that you don’t have to face the complicated legal process alone.

Contact Mottaz & Sisk today for a free, no-obligation consultation, and begin your journey towards a better life after a carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis.