Dealing with a condition that gradually developed at work can be incredibly frustrating, especially when the pain slowly worsens over time. Repetitive stress injuries build up from months or years of the same daily tasks. Because these pains develop so slowly, learning how to recognize the signs of a workplace wear-and-tear injury is crucial.
Compensation for common repetitive stress injuries
Workers’ compensation isn’t just for sudden accidents. Pain that developed from doing the same tasks every single day is covered, too.
These wear-and-tear injuries usually start as a minor ache but can slowly get bad enough to stop you from working. For example:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome: This condition occurs when the median nerve in the wrist becomes compressed due to continuous typing, operating cash registers or using vibrating hand tools.
- Tendinitis: This painful inflammation of the tendons frequently affects the elbows, shoulders or wrists of workers who perform forceful, repeated lifting or overhead motions.
- Bursitis: This condition impacts the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joints, often triggered by repetitive kneeling, bending or reaching while operating specialized machinery.
- Trigger finger: This painful condition causes a finger or thumb to snap or lock when bent, common among workers who repeatedly grip tools or handle materials tightly.
- Rotator cuff syndrome: This shoulder injury involves damage to the tendons from constant overhead reaching, heavy lifting or repetitive pushing and pulling.
Ignoring early warning signs like tingling, numbness or a dull ache can lead to permanent nerve damage. Other symptoms to watch out for include a sudden loss of grip strength, burning sensations, joint stiffness or visible swelling.
Seeking compensation after getting hurt at work
The most important part of getting workers’ compensation for a repetitive injury is proving that your job actually caused it. Because there is no single accident date to point to, insurance companies will often blame your pain on normal aging or your life outside of work. To secure your benefits, you need a clear medical diagnosis that explicitly links your physical symptoms directly to your daily tasks on the clock.
