Carpal tunnel syndrome and its relation to general physical condition.

Risk for carpal tunnel syndrome is closely related to general physical condition. Our findings confirm that healthy people are less likely to develop median nerve conduction abnormalities at the carpal tunnel than are unhealthy people. Being overweight, older, and physically inactive are major risk factors for slowing and clinical CTS. Workers' compensation patients with CTS, as a group, are identifiable by being overweight and physically inactive. Individual factors, such as body mass index, age, wrist dimensions, and physical activity, are far more important for determining who develops clinical CTS than are job-related factors, such as specific job, force or repetitions, duration of employment, or industry.