Buena Salud Chile
It is often thought that heavy use of cell phones, computers, and video game consoles damages the wrist. Dr. Badia debunks this and explains what carpal tunnel injuries really are.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a very common and poorly understood condition, to the point that while it has received a lot of press attention in recent years, even the scientific community still doesn’t fully understand it. The media often classifies it as an “occupational disease” (since they tend to associate it with repetitive activities like typing, factory assembly line work, constant computer use, or continuous texting on modern cell phones) because the pain manifests in the hands. However, public opinion is mistaken, and the reality is quite different: the cause is not using a keyboard. Although a predisposition to this condition does exist, repetitive activities (like typing on a computer) can simply aggravate it.
In reality, it is a metabolic problem and occurs more frequently in certain groups of people, such as: pregnant women in their 3rd trimester, diabetics, patients with hypothyroidism, and menopausal women.
Perhaps the reason it is associated with computers is simply because, historically, the people who worked in offices doing typing were typically women.
Fortunately, the diagnosis is not complicated when evaluated by a hand surgeon, and the solution is easy. Today, it involves an outpatient procedure performed endoscopically with minimal discomfort, through two small incisions. The recovery of function is almost immediate, allowing patients to get back to daily habits like using their cell phone or computer, cooking, or something as simple as getting dressed.
