When it comes to a workplace accident, our minds often turn toward a strained back after lifting a heavy object or breaking an ankle from a fall on a wet floor. While these incidents qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, other injuries that are much less traumatic may also be eligible for benefits as a work-related injury.
Musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs, are repetitive strain injuries that affect the muscles, blood vessels, ligaments, and tendons.
According to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Occupational Safety and Health, “Work-related MSDs are among the most frequently reported causes of lost or restricted work time.”
As we spend less time on the factory floor and more time behind our desks, the potential to develop a repetitive motion injury greatly increases over time.
What are the various forms of repetitive stress injuries, and are there limitations to workers’ comp coverage? Keep reading as our workers’ compensation lawyers, located conveniently near you, unravel the intricacies of repetitive stress injuries and how we can help.
What is a Repetitive Stress Injury?
A repetitive stress injury (RSI) occurs when damage to your muscles, tendons, or nerves is caused by repeatedly doing the same motion or activity. For example, typing on a computer every day for eight hours a day may result in a repetitive stress injury to your wrists and fingers over time.
RSIs typically affect the fingers, thumbs, wrists, elbows, arms, shoulders, and knees. While anyone can be at risk for developing an RSI, some of the most common professions that pose a high risk for an overuse injury include:
- Nurses and health care aides
- Delivery workers
- Musicians
- Professional athletes
- Grocery and stock clerks
- Occupations that require sitting behind a desk or constant computer use
- Janitors
- Firefighters
It is important to note that repetitive stress injuries can go by different names in different states. While some states refer to them as overuse injuries, others may call them repetitive strain injuries or refer to them as MSDs. Despite their different nomenclatures, they all refer to the same concept of nerve or muscle damage due to consistent use.
Types of Repetitive Stress Injuries (And How to Tell If You Have One)
Repetitive stress injuries don’t operate in the same way as an injury from a traumatic event, such as falling off a ladder. While you may feel or see the effects of a fall immediately, RSIs develop over time.
As you continue to use the same muscles, ligaments, or tendons constantly, you may begin to feel the symptoms of an RSI every time you perform the same task. Symptoms may include:
- Numb or tingling sensation in the fingers, hands, or feet
- Tenderness and pain, ranging in severity
- Loss of strength or coordination
- Loss of flexibility
- Reduced range of motion
- Sensitivity to cold or heat
- Swelling
Whether you spend your days hammering away on your keyboard or operating heavy equipment on the job site, there is a potential for RSI conditions to develop.
Here are some of the most common RSI conditions that can develop during your employment:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
One of the most common and well-known repetitive stress injuries, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, is the result of increased pressure on the nerves and tendons in your fingers or wrist. This added pressure can cause pain, tingling, and weakness while performing your job-related tasks, often making it difficult to perform everyday responsibilities.
Bursitis
Bursitis occurs when the fluid-filled sacs cushioning your joints become inflamed or irritated. Bursitis typically affects the shoulder, elbow, or hip joints and is often seen in people who operate heavy machinery.
Tendinitis
This RSI condition occurs when a tendon, a thick cord connecting muscle to bone, becomes inflamed. Those experiencing tendinitis will feel pain, experience swelling, and tenderness near a joint.
Does Workers’ Compensation Cover Repetitive Stress Injuries?
Repetitive stress injuries can be covered under workers’ compensation in South Carolina – but it can be tricky.
South Carolina Law defines a repetitive trauma injury as “an injury that is gradual in onset and caused by the cumulative effects of repetitive traumatic events” and, therefore, can be covered under workers’ compensation coverage.
Given the gradual nature of an RSI, it can become a challenge to form a connection between one’s job responsibilities and their subsequent overuse injury.
That’s why we ask that you leave it to Hoffman.
With the help of a workers’ compensation attorney at Hoffman Law Firm, we can help build a case for your overuse injury by gathering medical evidence and documentation of your injury diagnosis and treatment, among other forms of evidence.
Don’t Sit in Silence While Your Injury Develops – Leave it to Hoffman Law Firm
Proving a workers’ compensation claim for a repetitive stress injury can be difficult, and ensuring standards and deadlines are met accordingly can present even more of a challenge. With the help of a workers’ comp lawyer at one of the leading Charleston personal injury law firms, we can help you receive the compensation you deserve and peace of mind where you need it most.
With offices in Charleston, SC, and Georgetown, SC, our workers’ comp law firm has extensive experience handling a wide variety of cases.
Schedule a free consultation with one of the members of our team today!
