CARPAL-TUNNEL SYNDROME - CASE-STUDY OF AN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETE

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is an increasingly common nerve entrapment disorder which is a direct result of humans subjecting their hands to hours of repetitive motion. This case's subject was a 21-year-old female intercollegiate volleyball setter diagnosed with CTS. The study's purpose was to monitor the progression of her symptoms' severity over the observation period and to demonstrate that surgery may not always be the answer. Analysis revealed that only task abstention and not conservative medical treatments is effective in symptom retardation. Relevance to industry Industrial specialization and the use of personal computers has resulted in an exponential increase in the diagnosis CTS. Due to the concern of controlling worker's compensation cost, emphasis by ergonomists, industrial engineers and managers has concentrated on the work place. However, many CTS cases are not occupationally related. This case examines an exceptionally motivated student athlete. Industrial application drawn from this study is that motivated workers can and sometimes will perform with CTS. Ergonomists and industrial managers should not allow motivated employees to abuse themselves but take every opportunity to implement better ergonomically designed tasks and work stations.