Prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome among Tailors

Abstract

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorder and a common neuropathic illness. This condition is because of long-term median nerve compression due to repetitive hand movements. Some occupations have a higher risk of acquiring Carpal tunnel syndrome given that they call for continuous wrist use during work hours. Tailors are far more likely to develop Carpal tunnel syndrome as they repeatedly perform motions that applies continuous vibration, repetitive stress and force on the wrist. Objective: To determine prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome among tailors. Methods: Cross- sectional study design and non-probability convenience sampling technique was used to collect data from twin cities (Rawalpindi and Islamabad). After synopsis approval, the duration of the study was 6 months. 377 tailors from twin cities were selected. Self-structured and Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTQ) were used. Assessment of symptoms severity and functional limitations of tailors with carpal tunnel syndrome was also done. Results: The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome among tailors in twin cities was 24.9%. There were (94.8%) males and (5.2%) were females. The tailors having age between 26-30 years were mostly affected with working experience of 15.99 ± 10.81 years. Most of the participants 207 (59.3) worked 6 days in a week. According to Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTQ), there was mild level of symptoms severity and functional limitations were present in tailors suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Conclusions: This study concluded that prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome was found in tailors. There was mild level of functional limitations as well as symptom severity among tailors in twin cities.