COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA 

Present: Chief Judge Moon, Judge Bray and Senior Judge Hodges 

SONOCO PRODUCTS COMPANY 

AND 

HOME INDEMNITY COMPANY 

 MEMORANDUM OPINION*

v. Record No. 2070-94-3 PER CURIAM 

 NOVEMBER 21, 1995 

GERALD L. BLACK 

 FROM THE VIRGINIA 

WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION 

 (Charles F. Midkiff; Ruth N. Carter; 

Midkiff & Hiner, on brief), for appellants. 

 (Darren T. Delafield, on brief), for appellee. 

 Sonoco Products Co. and its insurer (hereinafter 

collectively referred to as "employer") contend that the Workers' 

Compensation Commission erred in determining that (1) Gerald L. 

Black's carpal tunnel syndrome is a "disease" within the meaning 

of "disease" under the Workers' Compensation Act, and (2) his 

carpal tunnel syndrome constituted a compensable occupational 

disease under Code § 65.2-400. Upon reviewing the record and the 

briefs of the parties, we conclude that this appeal is without 

merit. Accordingly, we summarily affirm the commission's 

decision. Rule 5A:27. 

 

 *Pursuant to Code § 17-116.010 this opinion is not 

designated for publication. 

Background

 Black began working for employer in 1987 as a production 

worker. He was eventually promoted to lead core-cutter. In his 
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job, Black loaded 160 inch long lengths of core tubes onto a cart 

and took them to various work locations, where he cut them into 

various lengths ranging from three inches to 105 inches. After 

the core was cut, Black grasped it with his right hand by 

pinching his thumb against his fingers. Then he pulled the core 

from the cutter with his right hand and stacked it. Black spent 

five hours of each eight-hour shift working on these tasks. He 

cut approximately 650 to 700 cores during this five-hour period. 

 He spent the rest of his shift performing other tasks such as 

baling, sweeping, and cam cutting. 

 Outside of his employment, Black did some gardening with his 

wife and children, consisting of planting and simple maintenance. 

 In 1990, he purchased a wood burning stove which he uses for 

supplemental heat. During the falls of 1990 and 1991, Black and 

several other individuals cut and split logs over a two-month 

period. Black testified that he did not notice any problems with 

his hands while working on the wood in 1991 or immediately 

thereafter. In the fall of 1992, Black received another load of 

logs. However, he did not participate in the cutting or 

splitting of this load, because he was having problems with his 

hands. Black stated that he went deer hunting five times in 

1992, but that he did not shoot, clean, or dress any deer. 

 Black first noticed tingling, numbness, and pain in his 

right hand while at work in November 1991. Prior to November 

1991, Black had not suffered from tingling, numbness, or pain in 
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his hands. On May 5, 1993, Black began treatment with Dr. Brian 

A. Torre, a hand surgeon. On that date, Dr. Torre diagnosed 

carpal tunnel syndrome. Based upon the hand gripping Black 

performed in order to maneuver the tubes, Dr. Torre opined that 

Black's condition appeared to be caused by his employment. At 

that time, Dr. Torre was not aware of any outside factors that 

might have caused Black's carpal tunnel syndrome. In June 1993, 

Black underwent release surgery. In a February 22, 1994 letter, 

Dr. Torre opined that Black's carpal tunnel syndrome constituted 

an occupational disease causally related to his work activities. 

 In his March 16, 1994 de bene esse deposition, Dr. Torre 

described carpal tunnel syndrome as follows: "It is excessive 

pressure on the median nerve as it passes across the wrist from a 

ligament that holds the nerve and tendons in place." Dr. Torre 

stated that the pressure can be caused by "swelling in the 

tunnel, from excessive tendon usage, from repetitious use of the 

hands . . . from vibratory stimulus . . . [or a person might 

have] the signs and symptoms without any specific cause." He 

further explained that carpal tunnel syndrome is commonly caused 

by "[r]epetitious pinching and grasping requiring straining or 

forceful use of the fingers," which compresses the median nerve 

between the tendons and the ligaments. Dr. Torre stated that he 

would not consider Black's wood cutting, deer hunting, or 

gardening activities causal factors in his developing carpal 

tunnel syndrome, unless Black's symptoms began during these 
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activities or immediately thereafter. 
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 I. 

 Based upon the totality of Dr. Torre's testimony, the 

commission found that Black's carpal tunnel syndrome constituted 

a "disease" that resulted from his particular work activities in 

which he frequently used his hands and fingers. 

 We recently held in Perdue Farms, Inc. v. McCutchan, 21 Va. 

App. 65, 68, 461 S.E.2d 431, 435 (1995), that the general medical 

definition of carpal tunnel syndrome places it within the 

definition of disease set forth in Piedmont Mfg. Co. v. East, 17 

Va. App. 499, 503, 438 S.E.2d 769, 772 (1993). As in Perdue, 

Black's condition did not present as an obvious, sudden, 

mechanical or structural change in his body. Based upon our 

holding in Perdue and upon Dr. Torre's diagnosis, we conclude 

that credible evidence supports the commission's finding that 

Black's carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition characterized as a 

"disease" within the meaning of the Act. 

 II. 

 In order for a disease to be compensable under Code 

§ 65.2-400, each of six conditions contained therein must be met. 

 A claimant must meet a more rigorous standard of proof, as set 

out in Code § 65.2-401, where the claimant's occupational disease 

may have resulted from substantial exposure outside of the 

employment. 

 The commission did not err in treating Black's carpal tunnel 

syndrome as a compensable occupational disease under the 
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requirements of Code § 65.2-400. Here, the commission found no 

evidence of substantial exposure to the causes of carpal tunnel 

syndrome outside of Black's employment. The testimony of Black 

and Dr. Torre provide credible evidence to support this finding. 

 Dr. Torre stated that Black's gardening, deer hunting, and wood 

cutting activities would not be causal factors in his developing 

carpal tunnel syndrome, as long as he did not develop any 

symptoms of the disease during these activities or immediately 

thereafter. Black testified that he did not notice any symptoms 

while cutting or splitting wood in 1991 or immediately 

thereafter. In addition, there is no evidence that Black noticed 

any symptoms while gardening or deer hunting. 

 On appeal, the commission's findings must be construed in 

the light most favorable to the prevailing party below. 

Piedmont, 17 Va. App. at 504, 438 S.E.2d at 773 (citing Crisp v. 

Brown's Tysons Corner Dodge, Inc., 1 Va. App. 503, 504, 330 

S.E.2d 916, 916 (1986)). "Whether a disease is causally related 

to the employment and not causally related to other factors 

is . . . a finding of fact." Island Creek Coal Co. v. Breeding, 

6 Va. App. 1, 12, 365 S.E.2d 782, 788 (1988) (citation omitted). 

 Credible evidence supports the commission's finding. Dr. Torre 

clearly related Black's syndrome to his work. There was no 

medical evidence to the contrary, and no evidence that Black's 

disease resulted from substantial exposure outside of his 

employment. 
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 For these reasons, the commission's decision is affirmed. 

 Affirmed.