Every job comes with certain occupational risks – yes, even office jobs. You may be wondering, “How can you suffer a workplace injury behind a desk?” Office employees endure workplace injuries more often than you’d think, and not the type of injuries that are typically seen in other professions. In 2021 alone, about 9% of U.S. citizens aged eighteen and older reported Repetitive Stress Injuries within a three month period, according to the CDC.

Repetitive Stress Injuries

Repetitive Stress Injuries, also known as RSIs, are one of the most common workplace injuries experienced in office work environments. What are RSIs?

Repetitive Stress Injuries occur when a person repeats the same motions regularly over a long period of time. In an office work environment, these motions often include tasks like typing and writing. Below are a few of the most common RSI’s and office workplace injuries.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The carpal tunnel is a thin passageway surrounded by ligaments and bones on the palm-facing part of the hand. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused when too much pressure is applied to the median nerve, which runs from the forearm to the hand. Symptoms include tingling sensation in the arm, wrist, or hand, numbness, and weakness. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome could affect as many as 1.9 million people, with between 300,000 and 500,000 corrective surgeries for the condition occurring annually.

Arthritis

There are over one hundred different types of Arthritis, which is overall, a condition that causes severe joint pain. The condition is caused by the rubbing and wear-and-tear of the joints and cartilage. Some of the symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, swelling, difficulty with mobility, and redness. Arthritis impacts the lives of nearly 19 million adults, limiting their activities, and is the most common cause of disability in the United States.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis in the hands is commonly experienced by employees of office jobs. Tendonitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the tendons. Like all RSIs, Tendonitis is caused by repetitive stress being placed on the tendons through actions such as typing for forty hours a week. Some of the symptoms include soreness, difficulty with mobility, and swelling. Roughly 30% of all healthcare visits regarding musculoskeletal conditions impact the tendons, including Tendonitis.

Repetitive Stress Injuries are incredibly painful and limiting. In fact, in 2021 alone, 44.2% of adults who had RSIs in the past three months reported that their injuries were serious enough to limit their activities for a minimum of 24 hours, according to the CDC. Unfortunately, in the same year, only 51.4% of adults with mobility restricting RSIs sought medical attention. For any workplace injury, it’s vital to seek medical attention. Otherwise, when you file a workers’ compensation claim, the delay in seeking medical attention could create a lack of evidence and hurt your claim as well as your chances of receiving workers’ compensation to cover all of your workplace injury related expenses.

RSIs & Workers’ Compensation

Can you receive workers’ compensation for a Repetitive Stress Injury obtained at work? In short, yes – as long as you have a skilled workers’ compensation attorney in your corner. One of the key elements to winning any workers’ compensation case is being able to prove that the injury was obtained on the job, during work hours. Because RSI’s are incurred over a period of months, or even years, it can be difficult to prove this. However, with the right personal injury lawyer, your workplace injuries can be proven with medical records, receipts, expert opinions, and more. Your personal injury attorney will assist you throughout the workers’ compensation process by going over your claim with you, ensuring the necessary legal paperwork is completed and submitted by deadlines, and negotiating on your behalf for a fair settlement that covers all of your workplace injury related expenses.

If you or a loved one have suffered a Repetitive Stress Injury or other workplace injury on the job, contact The Hines & Wilson Law Firm as soon as possible to schedule your initial consultation. There, you’ll receive free legal advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer near you in Columbia, Missouri. We’ll fight to win the financial compensation that you deserve.