According to media reports of recent research studies by researchers in Denmark and those at the Mayo clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., there is no association between computer use and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This apparently contradicts widely held assumptions about the causes of computer-related injuries, so what’s the truth?
CTS is caused by compression of the median nerve as this passes through the carpal tunnel, a narrow channel in the wrist between the carpal bones of the wrist (tunnel roof) and the transverse carpal ligament (tunnel floor). Sustained compression of the median nerve disrupts the axonal transport of fluids and this causes damage to the nerve fibers, a process termed neuropathy. The median nerve is a mixed nerve with both sensory and motor fibers. The sensory fibers are those first affected, and intermittent paresthesia (numbness, tingling) of the thumb and first two fingers often signifies the early stages of CTS.