Harmful Hand & Finger Motions and Activities

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, chances are it can be traced back to how you use your hands. The CDC says that certain hand & finger motions (or activities) can cause carpal tunnel. That's especially true when you’ve spent months or years performing that activity.

Other factors can contribute to getting carpal tunnel. Pregnancy, family history, and arthritis are chief among them. But the vast majority of people with carpal tunnel symptoms do not have these risk factors. Instead, they must look into how they use (or used) their hands and fingers. In other words, what motion or activity STRESSES your hands and fingers?

There are 6 common motions or activities which stress your hands and fingers. They are listed below. Keep in mind that an occasional stress will not necessarily be enough to cause carpal tunnel syndrome. You must factor in 2 other things:

• How often you perform that stressful activity
• How much force you apply when performing it

Think about these two factors when considering the 6 main stressing activities below that can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

It is widely reported that the increase in computer-based jobs has caused the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome to explode. In other words, excessive keyboard typing seems to be the culprit. 

For many people, rapid and repetitive finger movements are bad enough. But when that's combined with poor sitting posture, the problem becomes magnified several fold. Jobs that commonly require these motions are not only limited to keyboard users:

1. Piano and guitar playing
2. Assembly line work
3. Transcriptionist
4. Musician (guitarist, pianist, harpist, flautist)
5. Postal worker
6. Radiologist
7. Gamer
8. Secretary/office clerk
9. Computer programmers/graphic design
10. Small pars sorter
11. Card dealer/croupier
12. Phone operator
13. Pharmacist

A pinching activity means bringing the thumb and forefinger together for extended periods of time. Examples are holding a pen, dental instrument or fine paint brush. 

Obviously, this targets the thumb and forefinger tendons. While seemingly harmless, this activity imparts significant stress on those tendons. 

Writers are not the only ones who experience prolonged pinching activity. In fact, prolonged pinching is common in many occupations including:

1. Cashiers
2. Bank tellers
3. Dental hygienists
4. Electrician
5. Garment worker/sewer
6. Assembler
7. Fine artist
8. Pharmacist
9. Security system technician
10. Plumber
11. Nurse
12. Waiter
13. Butcher
14. Postal worker

Maintaining a grip constantly or for prolonged periods of time is extremely detrimental to the flexor tendons in your hand and fingers. Examples of this position are holding a hair brush, tennis racquet or wrench. 

A surprising number of otherwise unrelated occupations require this stressful hand activity. The jobs most commonly associated with maintaining a constant grip are:

1. Hair stylist
2. Construction worker
3. Auto mechanic
4. Woodworker
5. Shoveling
6. Janitor
7. Kayaker/Canoer
8. Meat packer/butcher
9. Professional cook
10. Sonographer
11. House painter
12. Truck driver
13. Locksmith
14. Fisherman

Constantly gripping and then releasing your grip is perhaps the No. 1 most stressful activity you can apply to your hand and finger tendons. The reason is similar to the stretch-and-relax stressing of many materials. Think of how many times you can bend metal back and forth before it breaks.

An example of this motion is using garden or pruning scissors. Jobs that commonly require these motions for extended periods of time are:

1. Auto mechanic
2. Cashier
3. Assembly line worker
4. Golfer
5. Homemaker
6. Housekeeper/dishwasher
7. Gardner
8. Meat packer/butcher
9. Florist
10. Waiter/Busser
11. Plumber
12. Mason
13. Farmer/harvester
14. Locksmith

A bent hand is where your wrist is extended or held “backward” for prolonged periods of time. This is an unnatural position. It not only stresses your flexor tendons, but also exerts more pressure on your carpal tunnel space. This, in turn, produces more compression of your median nerve. And that results in carpal tunnel syndrome.

You don't have to be a weightlifter to experience this activity. Jobs and activities that usually require extended periods of this bent hand position are:

1. Weight lifting
2. Push-ups
3. Drywall installation
4. Massage therapist
5. Gardener
6. Ceiling tile repair
7. HVAC technician
8. Baker
9. Motorcycle rider
10. Furniture/appliance mover
11. Bricklayer
12. Farmworker
13. Plumber
14. Professional cook

Among all of the stressful hand and finger motions and activities listed above, using vibrating tools is the only one with a direct clinical correlation to median nerve damage. Additionally, you may acquire a condition related to carpal tunnel syndrome known as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). 

HAVS is also directly correlated to the use of vibrating hand tools, like grinders and drills. Unlike carpal tunnel syndrome, HAVS is not reversible. 

Jobs that pose a risk to workers due to vibrating tool use usually caution that protective gloves are required on the worksite. Such high risk jobs are:

1. Construction worker
2. Woodworker
3. Road construction
4. Flooring maintenance
5. Jackhammer operator
6. Tree cutter
7. Cement/masonry cutter
8. Carpenter
9. Lawn maintenance
10. Heavy equipment operator
11. Asphalt installer
12. Marine repair
13. Motorcycle rider