Study: Hand and Wrist Arthritis Linked to Certain Jobs

The development of hand and wrist arthritis can be linked to certain jobs, according to researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the University of Connecticut.

Researchers conducted a study to examine the relationship between hand and wrist arthritis and a person's occupation.

Self-reported and medically treated hand and wrist arthritis was common among employed persons in general, according to the study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. The highest prevalence occurred among technicians, machine operators, assemblers, and farmers, and in the mining, agriculture, and construction industries. Work requiring repetitive hand bending and twisting was linked with the condition.

In workers with hand arthritis, 7.4 percent had made major changes in their work, 7.6 percent missed work, and 4.5 percent stopped working or changed jobs because of the problem.

"Our study links hand-wrist arthritis to occupation and potentially modifiable workplace ergonomic factors," the researchers reported. "The spectrum of hand-wrist "cumulative trauma" disorders may considerably exceed that of soft-tissue injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, and may include arthritis, a widely prevalent, disabling condition."

Other sources: American Journal of Industrial Medicine