Carpal Tunnel? Blame Genes Not Overuse
Study Shows Stronger Link to Genetics Than Excessive Typing or Hand Use
syndrome, long associated with overuse of the hands and wrists when surfing the Internet or typing, is linked more to genetics than repetitive use, according to the study. It was presented on February 17, 2007 at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in San Diego.
L
ong hours surfing the Internet or typing won’t wreck your wrists, a new study shows. Carpal tunnel
“The link between carpal tunnel
syndrome and hand use is overstated and may be inaccurate,” says study researcher David Ring, MD. Ring is an assistant professor of orthopaedic sur- gery at Harvard Medical School and a hand surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. “The scientific support for the con-
cept [that carpal tunnel is caused by overuse] is, on average, relatively weak,” he says. “The major risk factor for carpal tunnel is genetic.” Exactly what those genetic factors
are is not known, he says, but they may be related to the structure of the hand and wrists.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? In carpal tunnel syndrome, the me-
dian nerve, running from the arm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. This nerve controls sensations to the thumb’s palm side and part of all the fingers except the little finger.
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