Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

[Tilia]

Your thinking of vibrating white finger, caused by using compactors or heavy drills, chainsaws can cause it but you have to work with one for a long time to get it and without gloves.

 

According to HSE vibration can cause circulation problems ie vib white finger, and also nervous problems in the form of CTS.

 

I think a lot of the CTS cases with arb guys will be down to vibration from chainsaws, hedge trimmers, strimmers and so on. I'm just wondering if it is quite common, what can be done to prevent it, and whether there are varying degrees of it...?

[Rich2484]

Stretching out the hands and arms after working is good for it. Keeping hydrated works aswell. Regular breaks from using tools is recommended, so if you don't need to keep hold of that top handle then don't. Lol

[Paul Jenks]

Keep hands warm and use anti-vibe gloves.

I used a newish Stihl strimmer with a loop handle yesterday for about 90 minutes. Reckon it must have had about 10+m/s/s vibration. As was said before, this degree of vibration in a modern machine is unacceptable. Even with gloves and a fairly mild day my fingers felt like they were strumming a guitar.

[Old WoodChip]

It used to be "older" users would get VWF but even with the modern saws, tools there are a lot of younger people with symptoms. I have VWF and have to keep my hands warm & dry and even then part of my fingers turn white and loose sensation for a while, this has become worse over the years so my advise for what its worth is;

get a good pair of gloves and use them, keep your hands dry & warm and stay away from machines that vibrate (rampant rabbits is ok, some things you have to put up with)

 

Look after your body, you only have one shot at life

[Tilia]

Keep hands warm and use anti-vibe gloves.

 

do a-v gloves work then? The HSE claim that they have no effect or may even make vibration worse. I have a pair as a precaution but not sure whether just a thick pair of work gloves would be just as effective.

 

So stretch out to try and avoid CTS, and keep hands warm and dry to avoid VWF..? And for both, make sure you take breaks and use the lowest vib machinery I guess. I definitely notice the difference between a blunt saw and a sharp saw, it's just a shame that some people feel so under pressure to work that they don't take time to keep tools sharp.

[morten]

do a-v gloves work then? The HSE claim that they have no effect or may even make vibration worse. I have a pair as a precaution but not sure whether just a thick pair of work gloves would be just as effective.

 

So stretch out to try and avoid CTS, and keep hands warm and dry to avoid VWF..? And for both, make sure you take breaks and use the lowest vib machinery I guess. I definitely notice the difference between a blunt saw and a sharp saw, it's just a shame that some people feel so under pressure to work that they don't take time to keep tools sharp.

 

I honestly don't think there is any medical evidence that vibration causes CTS, see Carpal tunnel syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

I realise that vibration may cause other ailments with similar symptoms, such as "White Fingers" but don't expect to be able to prevent or treat CTS with gloves.

 

A few years back, I had Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery done to my hand, which AFAIK is one of the few scientifically documented treatments with lasting effect.

[Tilia]

I honestly don't think there is any medical evidence that vibration causes CTS, see Carpal tunnel syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

I realise that vibration may cause other ailments with similar symptoms, such as "White Fingers" but don't expect to be able to prevent or treat CTS with gloves.

 

A few years back, I had Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery done to my hand, which AFAIK is one of the few scientifically documented treatments with lasting effect.

 

The HSE advice to employees says that both VWF and/or CTS can be caused by exposure to vibration. See http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg296.pdf

 

I'm just surprised and concerned at how many people actually seem to develop CTS in this industry... I thought that with the new AV systems on modern chainsaws it wouldn't be an issue anymore. Perhaps there is also an issue with the repetitive movements of tree causing CTS as a type of repetitive strain injury, such as maybe the movement of putting on a chain brake?

 

If you don't mind me asking, how did you find the surgery? Does it have to be quite bad to get surgery in the first place? Other people on here seem to suggest less drastic measures first but like you say some of them may not be as effective.

[morten]

If you don't mind me asking, how did you find the surgery? Does it have to be quite bad to get surgery in the first place? Other people on here seem to suggest less drastic measures first but like you say some of them may not be as effective.

 

The operation itself is fairly minor (half hour job). But the recovery time afterwards meant I was unable to do any arb work for a period of 4 weeks, and it was about 3 months until i was fully recovered (climbing etc).

 

Before getting accepted for operation, neurological measurements were made, measuring the difference between nerve response by injecting electrical signals into the nerves of fingers that go through the Carpal Tunnel, comparing it to nerves bypassing the carpal tunnel. Electrical pulse speed and strength is measured, and you get an objective measurement of how much impact the CTS has. I believe that the risk of something going wrong is fairly minor (provided the surgery is performed by hand surgery specialists), and when fully recovered from the treatment, you regain virtually full nerve response, and I recurrence is virtually ruled out (AFAIK).

 

So to conclude: The only thing that should keep you from getting surgery, after being diagnosed with CTS is the lost income during the 4 - 12 week recovery. I was lucky enough to be able to make money doing non-arb related work (software and web development).

 

I believe that all NON-surgical treatments that are offered, provide only temporary relief (at best) from CTS symptoms, but I would be happy to hear about any evidence to the contrary.

[morten]

The HSE advice to employees says that both VWF and/or CTS can be caused by exposure to vibration. See http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg296.pdf

 

The experts seem to disagree on the subject (from Wikipedia article)

 

Occupational risk factors of repetitive tasks, force, posture, and vibration have been cited. However, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) has issued a statement claiming that the current literature does not support a causal relationship between specific work activities and the development of diseases such as CTS.

Source: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome