The carpal tunnel syndrome and its possible relation with occupation in neurological patients

Abstract

This study aimed to identify in the files of patients with neurological alterations of unknown etiology assisted in a teaching hospital, the presence of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (STC) and its possible relation to the work performed. This study was carried out in Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. The patients assisted in the period of one year with medical diagnoses of neurological alterations without a known cause was searched based on the International Classification of Diseases – CID10. A total of 261 files of patients with diseases listed in the classification CID 10 was found. Among these patients, 21% (76) presented STC concomitantly with the neurological alteration. The patient’s age varied from 31 to 42 years old (31.58%) and 19 to 30 years old (27.63%); 88.16% were women, which coincides with the findings in the literature and 88.16% were white. Regarding their occupations, 53.95% were related to household activities which involve intensive movement of fingers, wrists, forearms, elbows, arms, shoulders, neck and scapular region. The majority of men with this problem performed rural or construction work, which also demand considerable repetitive muscular effort. The elaboration of new studies using other methodological approaches is necessary in order to investigate the relation between the work performed and the triggering of such alteration.