Repetitive Motion & Carpal Tunnel
Doing the same motion hundreds or thousands of times a shift, like gripping, twisting, cutting, typing or tying rebar, can wear down tendons and squeeze nerves. These injuries build slowly, so they’re easy to ignore until they become permanent. Caught early, most can be fixed.
- Construction
- General Industry
- Office
Common injuries
| Injury | What happens | Typical signs |
|---|---|---|
| Carpal tunnel syndrome | The median nerve gets squeezed at the wrist | Numbness or tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers; worse at night; weak grip |
| Tendinitis | Swollen, irritated tendons | Pain and swelling that gets worse with use |
| Trigger finger | A finger tendon catches | Finger locks or snaps when bending |
| Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) | Strain where forearm muscles attach to the elbow | Pain on the outside of the elbow when gripping or lifting |
| De Quervain’s tendinitis | Irritated tendons at the base of the thumb | Pain when gripping or twisting |
Risk factors
- Repetition: the same motion over and over, without recovery time
- Force: hard gripping, pinching, pushing triggers
- Awkward posture: bent wrists, arms raised over the shoulders, twisting
- Vibration: grinders, impact tools, hammer drills. See Hand-Arm Vibration.
- Contact stress: hard tool handles or edges pressing into your palm
- Cold: cold hands need more grip force
Combining several of these, like forceful gripping with a bent wrist all day, raises the risk most.
Prevention
- Keep wrists straight. Choose tools with bent handles or pistol grips that fit the task. See Ergonomic Hand Tools.
- Use power tools or mechanical aids for repetitive tasks, like rebar tying tools or powered screwdrivers.
- Keep blades and bits sharp to reduce force.
- Set work at elbow height when you can.
- Rotate between tasks that use different muscles.
- Take short, frequent breaks to stretch and relax your hands. See Stretch & Flex.
- Wear gloves that fit; bulky gloves make you grip harder.
Early warning signs: report them
- Numbness, tingling or “pins and needles” in your fingers
- Waking up at night with hand pain or numbness
- Dropping things or a weaker grip
- Pain, swelling or stiffness that doesn’t go away overnight
- Fingers that lock or catch
Report symptoms to your supervisor early. Work-related repetitive injuries are covered by workers’ compensation, and early treatment, like changing the task, splints or physical therapy, often prevents surgery. See Workers’ Compensation. Your employer can’t punish you for reporting an injury.
Standards & references
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