Why are Koreans getting so much carpal tunnel syndrome? The number of patients in Korea suffering from the disorder has increased by 60% in recent years, going from 100, 000 in 2008 to 160, 000 in 2012. Eight out of every 10 patients are women, and half are in their 40s and 50s.
Carpal Tunnel Approaches Epidemic in Korea
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Secondary
The usual explanation for the syndrome is that it is caused by repetitive movements such as typing, but Korean experts say the cause is not clear and could involve both genetic and environmental factors.
Park Ji-won, of Arirang News, said, “Many studies indicate that women going through menopause have a higher risk for carpal tunnel syndrome than men do, because of hormonal changes at that time in a woman’s life.” He added that people with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and hypothyroidism may also have a higher risk for carpal tunnel, and medical authorities advise people with these diseases to take extra precautions in order to protect themselves against the syndrome.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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