Carpal tunnel syndrome. Priorities for prevention.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) has gained attention as an occupationally related illness due to the dramatic increase in its incidence, the accompanying direct and indirect financial costs to employers, and the emotional and physical costs to employees diagnosed with CTS. Application of epidemiologic principles provides a frame-work for understanding the interrelationship of agent, host, and environmental factors that contribute to CTS. Once identified, these factors provide the foundation for implementing prevention and control strategies. Modification of the work environment to decrease occupational stresses and minimize awkward postures and positions is an effective strategy to prevent CTS by improving the worker-job interplay. Occupational health nurses, through their understanding of the workplace environment (work stations, work processes) and the dynamics of the worker population, play a critical role in the interdisciplinary approach needed to prevent and decrease the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome effectively.