STATISTICS
FROM 1997 TO 2000
**The
following sources are compiled from the Bureau of Labor and
Statistics and the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health-NIOSH.**
Carpal
tunnel syndrome results in the highest number of days lost
among all work related injuries. Almost half of the carpal
tunnel cases result in 31 days or more of work loss.-National
Center for Health Statistics.
A
report by NIOSH revealed that more than 50% of all food
cashiers, (jobs predominantly held by women), suffered some
degree of carpal tunnel syndrome and other forms of repetitive
strain injuries as a result of the physical demands of
scanning products at high speed.
The
U.S. Department of Labor has concluded that Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome is the “chief occupational hazard of the
90’s”-disabling workers in epidemic proportions.
Currently,
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome affects over 8-million Americans.
Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome is the #1 reported medical problem, accounting
for
about 50% of all work-related injuries
Presently,
25% of all computer operators have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,
with estimates that by the year 2000, 50% of the entire
workforce may be affected.
Only
23% of all Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients were able to return
to their previous professions following surgery.
Up
to 36% of all Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients require
unlimited medical treatment.
Women
are twice as likely to develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as
opposed to their male counterparts.
While
women account for about 45% of all workers, they experience
nearly 2/3’s of all work-related Repetitive Strain Injuries.
Surgery
for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the second most common type of
surgery, with well over 230,000 procedures performed annually. |
