There are many types of injuries that can occur while a person is working. We can likely list dozens of different ways that a person doing manual labor can get injured, but what about people who do clerical work or work behind a computer all day? Anyone who has spent years behind a keyboard has likely experienced or knows someone who has experienced the symptoms of carpal tunnel.

Carpal tunnel is a syndrome that happens when the median nerve in the wrist becomes pinched or squeezed. The symptoms can start out relatively minor, with occasional numbness and tingling, but can quickly become painful. The pinched nerve can lead to extreme numbness, nerve pain and an inability to use the hand or fingers.

Carpal tunnel can be brought on in various ways. It can happen from a wrist injury, overuse or repetitive motion, or due to rheumatoid arthritis, among other reasons. There are non-surgical treatments such as medications and various types of hand exercises that can be preformed to alleviate the numbness and pain, but these therapies do not always work. In many cases, those suffering from carpal tunnel end up getting surgery. In fact, it is one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S.

In some cases, carpal tunnel may start as a result of an individual's work duties. Typing on a keyboard or repetitive movement on an assembly line may cause an individual to suffer from the symptoms of carpal tunnel. In these situations, an employee may want to learn more about his or her employer's workers' compensation coverage as they seek medical treatment for their work injury.