Carpal Tunnel - A Generation Killer?

Hey - It's been a while since I've posted something on here.  Tough balancing work, family, friends, leisure, trying to learn new things, and this blog.  Anyhow, thanks to my international and domestic readership - I've had a fair amount of people read here including people from 3 different continents.

I wanted to post a bit about something that I think will be more and more important as my generation (25-35 year olds) gets older.  It is carpal tunnel.  With everything becoming more electronic and more online from e-readers to mobile phones that can potentially replace a computer, people are using their hands in many different awkward positions for extended periods of time.  Not sure about the rest of you, but I use a computer on average probably at least 8 hours a day plus about 1-2 hours a day browsing information on my phone.

Without proper ergonomics, our entire generation is going to have crumpled hands that will debilitate us in terms of workplace productivity as well as every day tasks such as bathing and cooking.  To put it in perspective, this 2002 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the median days from work for repetitive motion problems is 23 days (see here).  I can only imagine what a similar study has now with people typing on their laptops on the couch like me, or fingering through their iPhone for hours on end. 

For me, I have been acutely aware of this issue since feeling a bit of tenderness and sometimes pain in my hands after a few years working as a "spreadsheet jockey" and using my computer for probably 12 hours a day.  Things I have done to help fix this problem will I hope help me in the long run to avoid repetitive motion problems.  These include always (or almost always) using a external mouse, taking micro-breaks to stretch my hands and arms every ~hour, and trying to work out more where my hands and arms are stressed in different ways to keep them strong.  I would also highly suggest getting a good desk set up wherever you use your computer as that can make a drastic improvement in the reduction of carpal tunnel type issues.

Hopefully I have opened your eyes a bit on this problem even if it is kind of a "silly" issue.  Repetitive motion can cause major arthritis, problems opening and closing your hands, and potentially even issues where you can't grip something so it is important to take it seriously.  Happy ergo and thanks for reading!