Does growing marijuana case carpal tunnel syndrome?
Marijuana Growers Risk Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
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Secondary#carpaltunnel#cannabisfarmers#marijuana
Calvin Hughes, writing for a publication called “Wellness,” reports that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is warning cannabis growers that trimming marijuana plants with sheers can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
The warning is based on a 2015 report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA)—a subsidiary of the Center for Disease Control (CDC)—which looked at the working conditions of cannabis farmers.
The OSHA researchers found an abundance of THC and potential allergens in the cannabis farming environment.
That’s a surprise.
However, NONE of the workers evaluated in the study had carpal tunnel at the time of the study.
Hughes characterized the report as “being a case of prohibitionists grasping at straws.”
The study goes on to state that “highly repetitive work” of trimming marijuana buds puts cannabis farmers at risk of developing muscular skeletal issues, predominantly carpal tunnel.
“Carpal tunnel,” Hughes reports, “occurs most often in people who work manual jobs that require excessive use of their hands. This overuse causes inflammation in the muscles and tendons that surround the medial nerve that runs between the hand and forearm. The CDC suggests the frequent trimming of cannabis buds done by marijuana farmers may be just such an inflation-causing job.”
Hughes also notes that “The report failed to mention that consuming marijuana can reduce inflammation.”
Yeah, we thought that too.
React:
Discussion
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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