An on-the-job injury doesn’t necessarily happen all in one moment. Sometimes it is a small, discomfort that grows to a daily nuisance and then into a debilitating condition over the course of years. This type of injury is called a repetitive motion injury.
There are over 20 different repetitive motion injuries, and they can affect your muscles, tendons, joints or nerves. What they all have in common is the daily, unrelenting pain that they cause to people simply trying to make a living, but there are some strategies that can help prevent them.
How can you prevent repetitive motion injuries?
Any job, whether you work in a factory or in an office, carries the risk of a repetitive motion injury. If you do the same action day-in and day-out from typing to carrying or sitting or climbing stairs, you can develop a stress-related injury.
Prevention, in most cases, depends on the type of job you have. If you sit at a desk for the majority of the day you should:
- Maintain good posture
- Use an ergonomic chair
- Take opportunities to stand, walk or stretch
- Consider different styles of keyboard to aid your wrists
Movement and proper equipment is the key to staying healthy in a sedentary job. But what about in a physically demanding job?
In a job where you stand, lift, carry and use your body all day long, there is often little opportunity to stop, rest and use different equipment. It would be great to take the necessary breaks you need, but demanding supervisors and timelines can put you in a tough position. Still, proper lifting techniques offer significant benefits to you.
Care and caution is not 100% effective
Even if you take every precaution and have an understanding supervisor who allows you to take the time you need to stay healthy, there is no guarantee. You may still find yourself with a debilitating injury from doing the same action for long periods of time. Depending on the severity of the injury, you could qualify for three types of benefits:
- Total disability
- Partial disability
- Specific loss awards
But to know the full extent of the benefits your injury entitles you to, you should speak with an attorney you can trust.