title: Causes of hand tingling in visual display terminal workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To offer the basic data about the causes and distribution of hand tingling, symptoms and physical findings, and pressure pain threshold in desk workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five physiatrists participated in the screening test composed of history and physical examination. A total of 876 desk workers were evaluated and of them 37 subjects with hand tingling were selected. For further analyzing, detailed history taking and meticulous physical examination were taken. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) at the infraspinatus, upper trapezius, flexor carpi radialis, rhomboideus, and flexor pollicis longus were examined. PPT measurements were repeated three times with two minute intervals by a pressure algometer. Electrodiagnostic study was done to detect potential neurologic abnormalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  THE CAUSES OF HAND TINGLING IN ORDER OF FREQUENCY WERE: myofascial pain syndrome, 68%; cervical radiculopathy, 27%; rotator cuff syndrome, 11%; tenosynovitis, 8%; and carpal tunnel syndrome, 5%. The location of trigger points in the myofascial pain syndrome, which were proven to evoke a tingling sensation to the hand in order of frequency were: infraspinatus, 65.4%; upper trapezius, 57.7%; flexor carpi radialis, 38.5%; rhomboideus 15.4%; and flexor pollicis longus 11.5%. The PPT of the affected side was significantly lower than that of the unaffected side in myofascial pain syndrome (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common cause of hand tingling in desk workers was myofascial pain syndrome rather than carpal tunnel syndrome. Common trigger points to evoke hand tingling were in the infraspinatus and upper trapezius.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sein
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Hyung Kuk
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jehwan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Taikon
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Kyu Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mi Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Si-Bog
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
keywords: Hand tingling; Myofascial pain syndromes; Pressure pain threshold; VDT workers