Question: Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Genetic?
Answer: A lot of discussion is going on about whether the cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is repetitive stress or genetics. And there is a lot riding on it (namely millions in workman's compensation benefits). The competing scientific studies have concluded that the answer is "Maybe." But in reality the answer is "No."
CTS is a repetitive stress injury. That means there has to be some injury to cause it. Genes, while they may cause some other nasty medical problems, do not cause repetitive stress. They can, however, make it more likely that you will develop CTS.
CTS is the aggravation of tendons passing through the Carpal Tunnel. So basically, if you are genetically disposed to have a small Carpal Tunnel you stand a much greater risk of developing Carpal Tunnel Risk. It may be to the point that even basic wrist movements cause repetitive stress, but it is still your actions and not the genes that cause the injury.
