Does Computer Use Actually Cause Carpal Tunnel?

BoldAC writes "A geek physician has reviewed the medical literature that explores if a relationship exists between computer use and carpal tunnel syndrome. 'Typing at the keyboard or using the mouse for hours and hours upon end just seems like it has to be horrible for your joints, right?' His conclusions certainly seem to contradict the thinking of many: 'The current research shows that computer use has very little role in causing carpal tunnel syndrome.' It even seems that both Harvard and the Journal of the American Medical Association agree with his conclusions."

Bull-fucking-shit

[mechsoph]

Then how the hell did changing to an ergonomic keyboard and trackball stop the excruciating pain in my wrists that I experienced when using my old keyboard and mouse?

Technically speaking, I probably had tendinitis rather than carpal tunnel. Still, it's rather upsetting when you tell your doctor you have RSI and he doesn't have a clue what your talking about. God damn medical racket.

too many variables

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, it would be very difficult to find a link between "computer usage" and carpal tunnel syndrome because there are so many variables. Are they measuring time in front of a screen? Typing time? Mousing time? Here's an important one - ratio of keyboard width to waist size. Sound stupid? Well combine a wide waist with a small-footprint keyboard, and your wrists are held at an unnatural bend (instead of straight in line with your forearms), causing pain. I speak from anecdotal experience. But I got an ergonomic split keyboard, and no more pain (approx 11 hours of computer time per day adding work and home). So it is not necessarily the repetitive motion, but the ergonomics of the motion.

I agree

[FranTaylor]

I'm older than any of you guys and I spend way too much time in front of a computer (ask my wife!). My hands are just fine, thank you. I got rid of the mouse a long time ago; now I use a trackpad. I also take breaks to go to a window and look off at something on the horizon, it helps prevent the seemingly ubiquitous nearsightedness (literally, not figuratively) among geeks.

Re:Bull-fucking-shit

[snowgirl]

Then how the hell did changing to an ergonomic keyboard and trackball stop the excruciating pain in my wrists that I experienced when using my old keyboard and mouse?

Because you were naturally predisposed to an RSI, and and ergonomic keyboard makes things easier on your wrists once they have been inflammed by an RSI. An ergonomic keyboard is not necessary for all people, as not all people are predisposed to RSI, and that's why you have the code monkeys who sit at their computer for hours, and don't develop any RSI at all.

The only reason why CTS and RSIs appear to be more common in computer users is because we're more likely to aggrevate the situation. It's not that we have more CTS and RSIs, it's because the effect is significantly more pronounced.

My observation... hardly scientific

[radiumhahn]

All the geeks I know with CTS are also urban bicycle enthusiasts. My theory is that the amount of jarring impacts and the force of them over time contribute CTS. What is weird to me is that all the CTS people I know are fit. Exercize regularly. The chubby geeks drink their dew and type at 120 words per minute with seemly no apparent problems other than being on the fast track to diabetes.

Re:Bull-fucking-shit

[snowgirl]

And some people smoke till they're 90 and don't get cancer, yet there doesn't seem to be any confusion about what's causing what there.

Unlike smoking, where lung cancer susceptability is likely in the high 90's of precentile, CTS susceptability is very low. Most people will not get CTS no matter how much they use a computer, whereas most people will get lung cancer from smoking.

The difference is in the likelihood rate, even though both of them are fairly equally the same thing. (Triggering a susceptability.)

Re:Bull-fucking-shit

[mechsoph]

My only predisposition is girly-man wrists. So yeah, some people can use lousy keyboards and do just fine. But saying bad keyboards don't cause CTS/RSI is like saying smoking only causes cancer in people who are predisposed to it.

Re:Consumer Reports

[Itninja]

Whoa there. Who said anything about government? Non-profit doesn't mean government funded. They can not be profit driven and still be totally self-funded.

Re:Emacs Pinky

[roguetrick]

From most standings, bloggers are to journalists as chiropractors are to doctors.

Re:Bull-fucking-shit

[ZombieWomble]

You do realise that "surveys" of this sort are really the only decent method for gathering data on ailments such as RSI which display such a low incidence rate and low correlation with workplace factors, yes? It's not like you can meaningfully do an "experiment" where you assign sufficiently large groups distinct jobs and computer usage time over a period of years to get rigorous results. And they did apply some slightly more rigorous tests to determine how many reported cases of RSI were indeed valid.

Moreover, I suspect you didn't even read the study in any detail, since in this rant:

I want a real study that looks at the amount of time in front of the computer and the activities engaged in and the amount of time spent in each activity! I want to know about posture, position of keyboard, mouse in relation to the monitor and the user.

You almost perfectly describe the data presented in this study. It broke down users by time in front of PC (and further by time spent on keyboard, mouse, and keyboard&mouse tasks, as well as low input tasks) as well as by general job description, and asked numerous questions on posture and other factors which may affect how one uses a pc - indeed, the majority of the data presented in the actual risk factor tables (3&4) deals with posture.

If you want to criticise a study, please at least look it over before ranting.

News just in

[fozzmeister]

Driving doesn't cause death... if your careful. Typing doesn't cause carpal tunnel, if your careful, amazing isn't it.

Re:I agree

[Anonymous Coward]

There is no proof that close up work causes myopia and neither is there any proof that 'exercising' your eyes helps prevent myopia. Myopia is usually down to the shape of the cornea and/or shape of the actual eye neither of which flex in a way that looking at distant objects would make any difference too. Eye sight problems related to old age are of usually associated with the lens losing it elasticity and therefore its ability to focus. This is likely down to simple use so changing what you are focusing on frequently probably isn't going to help.

I think it is far more likely that the correlation between geeks and myopia operates the other way around. People with myopia are probably more likely to become geeks than geeks to become myopic. Perhaps a person with myopia is attracted to close up work because they have problems seeing. I know I had a dislike for anything that required long distance sight as a child. I was 10 when my myopia was spotted. Well after I had become interested in board games and computers and shied away from football and cricket. I was forever being told to move back from the TV as a kid. The prevailing wisdom at the time was that sitting too close to the TV was bad for your eyes. Didn't my Mother feel guilty when it turned out it was because I couldn't see properly that I was sitting so close.

It could also be that there is some kind of genetic link between myopia and other so called geek characteristics. Myopia often runs in families.

Perhaps old wives tales you heard back when Noah was a lad are not that best way to measure your health. Hey you bought age into this.