The term, “repetitive stress injury” is a catch-all phrase describing a variety of conditions. With injuries of this type a body part is placed under a lot of stress through repetitive use. An example of such use is someone on an assembly line who performs the same type of lift every day as part of the job. When these injuries occur, the stressed body part may experience pain, muscle strain, and inflammation to the area.
Repetitive stress injuries are likely to be a part of workers’ compensation claims because such injuries often manifest through work duties. Increasingly, such claims are based on smaller areas in the body, like with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the hand, or with lower back pain from sitting too much. Resultantly, other conditions may develop from these injuries, including arthritis.
Hobbies and physical activities can also lead to repetitive stress injuries. One major source of such injuries is with sports. For instance, a quarterback spends most of his time practicing throwing a football, trying to increase the accuracy and distance of his throws. It is easy to see that after several years of serious play, a player can develop a problem in his arm. Fortunately, the popularity of sports has led to an increase in sports clinics. With more research into this area, clinics are able to try to detect these injuries before they become lifelong problems. They offer rehabilitation programs specifically designed to prolong the life of the body parts of athletes. These techniques are so effective that many patients are those who do not play sports but suffer from repetitive stress injuries from work.
It is important that when you begin to feel pain from what you believe is an overuse injury to seek medical care immediately. It is important to document such injury especially if it is work-related. Let your doctor know what you suspect is the cause of the injury and ask for a referral to a specialty clinic for treatment. If the injury is work-related, you may need to fill out an injury report at work and you may also need to see a doctor for your employer.
It is important to seek an attorney immediately for a workers’ compensation claim. The process is complicated and lasts far too long to handle on your own.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice. Your case may be different. Hiring an attorney immediately will protect your rights. Consult an attorney in your area for further guidance.
