"Is My Incessant Phone Using Giving Me Carpal Tunnel?" -Katie Heaney
Ismail Nabeel, MD, deputy medical director of the Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health, said that while there are certain conditions that make a person more likely to develop carpal tunnel — particularly diabetes and pregnancy, people who type frequently in non-ergonomics positions also face an increased risk. “Carpal tunnel occurs when the median nerve – one of the five main nerves that run from the brachial plexus down the arm – is compressed by pressure placed on the wrist,” said Dr. Nabeel. As the nerve gets increasingly compressed, we may start to experience numbness and tingling in the hand(s) and wrist(s), and if left untreated, this may progress to aching and pain, Dr. Nabeel explained. This can also lead to weakness, and even atrophy of the hand muscles, making it difficult to pick up and hold onto items, or make certain movements. Dr. Nabeel said it comes back to correcting the positioning of your workstation and your body when you’re at work, and making sure to take breaks after long periods of typing.
- Ismail Nabeel, MD, Deputy Medical Director, The Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health, Assistant Professor, Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai