New Jersey employees who have been diagnosed with repetitive stress injuries are eligible to claim workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, many employees don’t recognize the early warning signs of this condition until the damage turns permanent. Understanding what repetitive stress injuries are and their symptoms can allow you to seek assistance before your injury turns permanent.
What are repetitive stress injuries?
Repetitive stress injuries are comprised of temporary or permanent damage to the soft tissues of the body. These include muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. When these soft tissues are worked in a repetitive motion on a daily basis without breaks, they can develop symptoms of numbness, tingling, pain, loss of flexibility and visible swelling. If you notice these symptoms, it’s advisable to speak with your medical professional.
What are common repetitive stress injuries?
Some of the most commonly diagnosed repetitive stress injuries in workers include tenosynovitis, cubital tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, tendinitis, bursitis, epicondylitis, ganglion cyst and carpel tunnel syndrome. It’s important to realize that repetitive stress injuries can occur throughout the soft tissues of the body.
Some of the most common places for these injuries to occur include the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, thumbs and hands. However, they can also affect the knees, feet, legs, back, hips, ankles and neck. When these conditions are diagnosed early on, patients can undergo physical therapy and proper workplace adjustments to prevent any permanent damage.
Repetitive stress injuries are becoming more commonly diagnosed as the medical field identifies the most common workplace culprits. Those who currently work in an assembly line, behind a computer or in the carpentry industry tend to be at a higher risk for developing repetitive stress injuries. If you think that you may have such an injury, it’s advisable to seek medical help and talk with an attorney about the workers’ compensation benefits available to you.
