Exploring What It Effectively Means to Manage Carpal Tunnel Syndrome’S

The intended goal of my study was to provide insight and generate theories about
how the physical, social, and emotional effects of carpal tunnel syndrome, affected
an employees ability to complete their employer-sponsored Return to Work
program when they have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
In order to do this, I utilized a constructivist grounded theory methodology that
used Strauss and Corbins microanalysis techniques during the semi structured
interviews and observations in order to focus my attention on how the participants
acted and reacted during the interviews. Participants actions and reactions were
used to generate open ended interview questions.

My study took place over a three-month time frame and consisted of consisted
of 12 people (five men and seven women) from three separate companies in the
United States of America. During this timeframe, participants answered semistructured
and open-ended interview questions about their experience with CTS
in the workplace, how they dealt with having CTS in the workplace, how they
were treated in and out of the RTW program by their employer and co-workers,
and why they felt their disease had a direct impact on how they were treated by
their employer and co-workers.

Through the participants thoughts, feelings, emotions, and fears, individual
stories emerged, which provided insight into the social existence and nonacceptance
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has in the workplace. Through the use of
the employees with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome words and experiences, specifics
about the physical, psychological, psychosomatic, and sociological experiences
helped in the construction of preliminary theories that showed how the cause and
effect reactions were the motivating factors of why employees with Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome did or did not complete their employers Return to Work programs.