Carpal tunnel syndrome compensation claims
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition caused by the compression of the nerves that run through your wrist and into your hand.
Normally these nerves run through a small tunnel in the wrist (the carpal tunnel) which also contains some of the tendons that you need to be able to move your wrist. Most of the time, the carpal tunnel is wide enough to allow both tendons and nerves to pass through it without any problems.
Suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as a result of an accident at work?
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In carpal tunnel syndrome, the space inside the tunnel shrinks, which puts pressure on the nerves and tendons. It is this compression of the nerves that produces the feelings of pain and numbness in the hands that are a complaint of carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers. The pain and loss of feeling in the hands can stop the sufferer from working, or even doing basic tasks.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a relatively common complaint and one that can be caused by poorly designed work equipment, such as keyboards or the controls of a vehicle. If a work environment is poorly designed, for example if there are no wrist supports provided for tasks requiring you to sit down and use your hands, you might be putting yourself at risk of an injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Treating carpal tunnel syndrome
Mild cases of carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated without having to resort to surgery. Treatments might involve wrist splints to support the wrist whilst it heals, and steroid injections, to reduce any swelling of the tendons or surrounding tissue, thereby reducing the pressure on the nerves.
More severe cases usually require surgery; an operation known as a 'carpal tunnel release' is performed, to reduce the pressure on the median nerve. Fortunately, carpal tunnel surgery has very high success rates, with the vast majority of people who are treated being able to return to work at their old jobs.
An alternative method of preventing further injuries is to look at the working environment of the person who is suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome to see if any changes can be made. These changes might include switching from a standard keyboard to an ergonomically designed one, encouraging the sufferer to change their posture to minimise the strain on their wrists and providing wrist supports.
Carpal tunnel syndrome compensation
If you have developed carpal tunnel syndrome at work, and you aren't sure if you can make a compensation claim against your employer, bring your case to Camps. Our claims advisors will discuss your injury with you, and if we feel you have grounds to make an accident claim, we will take your case on at no cost to you.
