[Jewelry making - Article 01223] - Re: [Orchid] Carpal tunnel and workman's compensation

[Randolph Post]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    Some carpal tunnel syndrome problems may unfortunately be an act of
    convenience, particularly in the workplace. There may be other
    causes having nothing to do with the workplace. There may be a
    terrible conspiracy at work. There may be therapies closer to you
    than you think. First let=92s look at some statistics. 

    From: http://www.ergooutfitters.com/html/carpal.shtml 

    Repetitive strain injuries are diagnosed as conditions such as
    Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, tendonitis and tennis elbow. Statistics U.S.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: 

    =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
    Year     # of RSI cases    % of all illnesses
    =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
    1978        20,200                14%
    1979        21,900                15%
    1980        23,200                18%
    1981        23,000                18%
    1982        22,600                21%
    1983        26,700                25%
    1984        37,700                28%
    1985        37,000                30%
    1986        45,500                33%
    1987        72,900                38%
    1988       115,300                48%
    1989       146,900                52%
    1990       185,400                56%
   =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

    (Source: Pinsky, Mark A., The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Book, Warner
    Books, 1993, pg. 144 

    *** 

    Do the above statistics suggest a surging epidemic? The above Bureau
    of Labor statistic is fourteen years old! Now we are reading about
    CTS from holding cellphones that are a fraction of the weight of the
    old style phone, the one with a cord attached. 

    Is it all happening in the workplace? Let=92s look at some recent
    research. 

    From:
    http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BJK/is_9_12/ai_78355267 

    Studies Cast Doubt on Causes of Carpal Tunnel Risk & Insurance, 
    August, 2001  by Michael Capozzi 

    New research brings good news to employers concerned with costly
    workers' compensation claims, lost productivity, and potential
    ergonomic regulations as a result of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS),
    one of the most common repetitive stress injuries. The research
    attacks the causes and risk factors of CTS and pinpoints what types
    of jobs are likely to cause the ailment. 

    The most controversial study comes out of Australia, where
    occupational therapist Sonja Falkiner's findings were presented by
    hand surgeon Stuart Myles at the Royal Australasian College of
    Surgeons conference in Canberra, Australia. Both Falkiner and Myles
    work at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney. 

    Carpal tunnel syndrome is more likely to be caused by being
    overweight or by an underlying disease than by a person's job
    duties, according to Myles. Falkiner's study found that the most
    likely CTS patient is a woman of menopausal age who is obese,
    diabetic, and a smoker. 

    Thousands of workers' compensation claims are being paid
    unnecessarily, says Myles, giving an example of a 51-year-old
    administrative assistant who was overweight, had diabetes, arthritis
    in the base of her thumb, and a family history of CTS. 

    "This woman had all the factors for the development of carpal tunnel
    syndrome, and yet she had an accepted workers' compensation claim,"
    Myles says. "In such cases, it was just as likely to be pruning the
    garden, cleaning the house, or playing a sport that caused the
    disorder." 

    "It is offensive and ridiculous that unfit people are demanding
    government payouts for injuries that are more than likely caused by
    their general lifestyle, not work," says Myles. "It's only those
    people who work in cold environments, and those who work in highly
    forceful and repetitive jobs, such butchers and meat packers, that
    there may be said to be a cause (relating to work)," he adds. 

    Another study, published in the June 12 issue of Neurology by J.
    Clarke Stevens and other researchers at the Mayo Clinic in
    Scottsdale, Ariz., seems to support this claim, at least partially.
    The researchers studied 257 Mayo Clinic workers and found that only
    10 percent had CTS symptoms. An electromyogram, a device that
    measures the ability of the nerve to conduct electrical impulses,
    later found that only 3.5 percent of the workers actually suffered
    from CTS. Clearly, the researchers were surprised by their findings. 

    "We had expected to find a much higher incidence of carpal tunnel
    syndrome in the heavy computer users in our study because it is a
    commonly held belief that computer use causes carpal tunnel
    syndrome," says Stevens. 

    These two studies, however, are hardly the last word on the subject,
    as numerous other studies and experts hold the opinion that
    repetitive stress from computer use and other job functions does in
    fact cause CTS. 

    For instance, a look at the Mayo Clinic Web site reveals this
    statement, under the risk factors of CTS subheading: "Although it's
    not clear which activities can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, if your
    work or hobbies are hand-intensive, involving a combination of
    awkward, repetitive wrist or finger motion, forceful pinching or
    gripping and working with vibrating tools, you may be at higher risk
    for the condition." 

    Despite the lack of clear answers, one thing is for certain: the
    condition is costing U.S. businesses plenty, both in terms of
    workers' compensation costs and lost productivity. According to the
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 27,900 cases of carpal tunnel
    syndrome were reported in 1999 (the most recent year for which data
    is available), with 27 days being the median average for days away
    from work, the highest among all disabling injuries and illnesses. 

    With this in mind, employers surely will hold their breath, waiting
    for the next study to bring more clarity to the subject. 

    *****

    Perhaps the cause of the surging statistics is something sinister: 

    From: Fluorides and fluoridation =96 the dose is the poison
    http://www.rvi.net/~fluoride/dose_is_the_poison/the_dose_is_the_poison=
.htm 

    Clip - We know that complaints of arthritic symptoms are more common
    than they were sixty years ago. Quite a number of troublesome health
    conditions seem to be more prevalent today. In earlier times,
    secretaries typed all day on manual typewriters without developing
    carpal-tunnel syndrome. All of a sudden, body parts we used to take
    for granted seem to be wearing out before their time. 

    From: Fluoride: Wide Range of Serious Health Problems
    http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/fluoride.htm

    Health problems caused by fluoride: 

    Osteoporosis and Arthritis: Scientists at EPA in Washington have
    declared that there is every reason to believe that the increasing
    numbers of people with carpal-tunnel syndrome and arthritis-like
    pains are due to the mass fluoridation of drinking water. On July 9,
    1998 the Manchester Guardian reported news of fluoride poisoned
    water in Central India, from untested wells drilled in the 1980s,
    causing severe arthritic damage to tens of millions of people -- a
    national disaster. Fluoride is the most bone seeking element known
    to mankind. The US Public Health Service has stated that fluoride
    makes the bones more brittle and dental enamel more porous. 

    *** 

    On the lighter side, type -electronic gem therapy- in closed quotes
    into Google and get 1850 astounding pages! 

    For those in the jewelry trade with CTS problems, the answer may
    already be sitting in your hand=85. 

Randolph Post

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________