You enjoy your job, but you worry about the toll your duties take on your body. After experiencing the same aches and pains after shifts, you wonder if your job may trigger injuries your employer could bear responsibility for.
The University of California explores repetitive strain injuries. Depending on your symptoms and where they stem from, you could have a workers’ compensation claim to explore.
Understanding repetitive strain injuries
Medical professionals define repetitive stress injuries as pain resulting from repetitive overuse and movement of tendons, muscles and nerves. RSIs usually target specific body parts, including the neck, shoulders, elbows, forearms, hands and wrists.
Breaking down symptoms of repetitive strain injuries
To determine if you have an RSI or another condition, it helps to know the most common stress injury symptoms, such as stiffness, aching, cramping, weakness and throbbing. Pay close attention to how your body feels while working, as you may only notice symptoms during repetitive actions.
Explaining causes of repetitive stress injuries
Of course, repetitive motions cause stress injuries, but other conditions trigger the condition. For instance, engaging in intense activities without proper rest breaks or with poor posture may cause RSIs, and so could engaging in activities that involve maneuvering the body into an uncomfortable position.
Employees who work in cold environments and those who use vibrating equipment regularly may suffer stress injuries. Those who already have RSIs may experience worsening symptoms working in such conditions.
You cannot afford to brush off symptoms of a stress injury. If your company bears any responsibility for your discomfort or pain, you deserve to protect your employee’s rights.