Do I Have Repetitive Stress Injury From My Workplace?
A repetitive stress injury (RSI), also called a repetitive strain, repetitive motion, cumulative trauma or occupational overuse injury, is caused when you habitually repeat motions in one area of your body. Because we normally do the same tasks day in and day out at our jobs, our joints, muscles, ligaments, nerves and tendons are being used in the same way each day which can progressively inflame or damage them.
Symptoms of Repetitive Stress Injuries
Usually RSIs happen gradually over time. Therefore we tend to ignore the symptoms until they become a really big problem. You may have an RSI if you are feeling:
- Pain
- Aching
- Tightness
- Throbbing
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Weakness
- Burning
- Imobility
These symptoms are normally localized in one affected area of your body, and you may find that the symptoms ease when you go on vacation or otherwise rest the area. The symptoms could also be made worse when you are doing the repetitive task.
Common Repetitive Stress Injuries
The most common RSIs occur in the arms, wrists and hands and can include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tendonitis
- Tendinosis
- Tenosynovitis
- Bursitis
- Tennis elbow
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
- Ulnar tunnel syndrome
- Trigger finger
- Iliotibial band syndrome
Chiropractic Care Can Help Your Repetitive Stress Injury
Chiropractic care can help any joint dysfunctions or restrictions that have emerged as a result of your repetitive motion injury. A chiropractor can also work to relax tight and sore muscles, provide physical therapy exercises you can do at home or at work as well as help you evaluate and change your workstation or work environment so you don’t reinjure yourself. Chiropractic care provides a holistic and nonsurgical approach to receiving effective and results-based care for RSIs without relying on medications or surgeries.
Receiving Workers’ Compensation Insurance for a Repetitive Stress Injury
If your RSI has become severe enough to impact your job performance or cause you to miss time, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation insurance from your state. However because RSIs are not as easily visible as some other workplace injuries, employees must provide substantial evidence to prove their injury is a work related injury.
The most important first step is to see a doctor for an evaluation. You can then work with your employer and an attorney to see if you are eligible for workers’ compensation insurance.
And guess what? If you do receive workers’ comp, you are fully entitled to visits with a chiropractor just as you can seek out treatment from other medical professionals. And if Dr. Levi determines that further care is necessary beyond the covered timeframe, he can request authorization from your employer/workers’ compensation insurance to receive additional visits covered by your policy.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to treat your repetitive stress injury! Make an appointment with Dr. Levi today.