Repetitve strain injuries are on the rise. Below, the statistics provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are presented. Remember these reflect only the number of cases which have been reported.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

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Year     # of RSI cases    % of all illnesses
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1978        20,200                14%
1979        21,900                15%
1980        23,200                18%
1981        23,000                18%
1982        22,600                21%
1983        26,700                25%
1984        37,700                28%
1985        37,000                30%
1986        45,500                33%
1987        72,900                38%
1988       115,300                48%
1989       146,900                52%
1990       185,400                56%
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(Source: Pinsky, Mark A., The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Book, 
Warner Books, 1993, pg. 144.)

Some of the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are:

• Feelings of numbness
  
• Prickling sensation
  
• Tingling and pain in the thumb, index, middle finger (may get worse at night)
  
• Cold hands
  
• Pain in the hands which may extend up the arm to the shoulder
  
• Feeling swollen in the fingers but fingers are not swollen
  
• Stiffness of the hands and fingers
  
• Weakness in one or both hands
  
• Joint pain/wrist pain
  
• Loss of coordination; difficulty in grasping objects
  
• Weakness in grip - tasks such as tying shoes or picking up small objects become difficult
  
• Unconscious self-massaging of hands, wrists and/or arms