Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

LIVE: Thursday 2nd May 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

Quality sleep is essential for health. But what happens to our brains when sleep patterns are disturbed? Join our experts to explore the interplay between sleep disruption and neurological diseases, and the questions that you need to be asking your patients to help you prevent the harmful effects of sleep deprivation.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
HAND
Published in: HAND 4/2010

01-12-2010 | Original Article

Evaluation of sleep position as a potential cause of carpal tunnel syndrome: preferred sleep position on the side is associated with age and gender

Authors: Steven J. McCabe, Yuan Xue

Published in: HAND | Issue 4/2010

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

To test the hypothesis that an important step in a causative mechanism for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is sleeping in a lateral position (sleeping on the side), we designed a cross-sectional survey to measure the association between sleep position, age, gender, and body mass index (BMI).

Methods and Findings

We surveyed 247 patients in a primary care setting. Fifty percent of men and 73% of women prefer to sleep on their side (p < .001; unadjusted odds ratio, 2.7). In addition, the proportion of women who prefer to sleep on their side increased with increasing age (p < .001). There was no association between BMI and sleeping in a lateral position.

Conclusions

This study supports the hypothesis that sleeping on the side is an important step in a causal pathway for CTS.
Literature
1.
Atroshi I, Gummesson C, Johnsson R, Ornstein E, Ranstam J, Rosen I. Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in a general population. JAMA. 1999;282:153–8.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Bland JD. The relationship of obesity, age, and carpal tunnel syndrome: more complex than was thought? Muscle Nerve. 2005;32:527–32.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Bland JP, Rudolfer SM. Clinical surveillance of carpal tunnel syndrome in two areas of the United Kingdom, 1991–2001. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003;74:1674–9.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Boz C, Ozmenoglu M, Altunayoglu V, Velioglu S, Alioglu Z. Individual risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: an evaluation of body mass index, wrist index, and hand anthropometric measurements. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2004;106:294–9.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Gupta R, Rummler L, Steward O. Understanding the biology of compressive neuropathies. CORR. 2005;436:251–60.CrossRef
6.
Keller RB, Largay AM, Soule DN, Katz JN. Maine carpal tunnel study: small area variations. J Hand Surg. 1998;23A:692–6.
7.
Koltz PF, Fargione R, Chen R, Messing S, Gusenoff JA (2010) Inter-relationships of carpal tunnel syndrome with body mass indices in the massive weight loss population. Presented ASPN, Jan 2010, Boca Raton, Fl
8.
Kubota T, Ohshima N, Kunisawa N, Murayama R, Okano S, Mori-Okamoto J. Characteristic features of the nocturnal sleeping posture of healthy men. Sleep Biol Rhythms. 2003;1:183–5.CrossRef
9.
Lozano-Calderon S, Anthony S, Ring D. The quality and strength of evidence for etiology: example of carpal tunnel syndrome. J Hand Surg. 2008;33A:525–38.
10.
McCabe SJ, Uebele AL, Pihur V, Rosales RS, Atroshi I. Epidemiologic associations of carpal tunnel syndrome and sleep position: is there a case for causation? Hand (NY). 2007;2(3):127–34.
11.
Mondelli M, Giannini F, Giacchi M. Carpal tunnel syndrome incidence in a general population. Neurology. 2002;58:289–94.PubMed
12.
Nathan PA, Wilcox A, Emerick PS, Meadows KD, McCormack AL. Effects of an aerobic exercise program on median nerve conduction and symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. J Occup Environ Med. 2001;43:840–3.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Nordstrom DL, Vierkant RA, DeStefano F, Layde PM. Risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in a general population. Occup Environ Med. 1997;54:734–40.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Phalen GS. The carpal-tunnel syndrome. Seventeen years' experience in diagnosis and treatment of six hundred fifty-four hands. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1966;48A:211–28.
Metadata
Title
Evaluation of sleep position as a potential cause of carpal tunnel syndrome: preferred sleep position on the side is associated with age and gender
Authors
Steven J. McCabe
Yuan Xue
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
HAND / Issue 4/2010
Print ISSN: 1558-9447
Electronic ISSN: 1558-9455
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11552-010-9271-y

Other articles of this Issue 4/2010

HAND 4/2010 Go to the issue

News

Why I hate the index finger

Original Article

Bone discrepancy as a powerful indicator for early surgery in obstetric brachial plexus palsy

Original Article

A survey to determine current practice patterns in the surgical treatment of advanced thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthrosis

Case Reports

Focal hand dystonia in a patient with ulnar nerve neuropathy at the elbow

Original Article

Cutaneous Nerves at Risk During the Posterior Midline Approach to the Elbow

Case Reports

A Qualitative Evaluation of Scaphoid Remodeling in Bone-Grafted Scaphoid Nonunions