Pennsylvania residents who work in occupations that require them to conduct repetitive tasks during their workdays could begin to notice they suffer from discomfort in parts of their bodies. Wrist pain is one of those “discomforts” that could quickly turn into excruciating pain. The problem is diagnosing it correctly in order to receive the right treatment.
In most cases, wrist pain will be either carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis. The hallmark of CTS is that a nerve in the wrist is compressed due to swelling. Tendonitis on the other hand results from inflammation of a tendon caused by irritation of it due to overuse. Telling the difference is the key to obtaining the correct diagnosis.
The symptoms of CTS include tingling that moves into the middle finger, index finger and thumb. The pain usually stays localized to the palm side, and some people have to deal with itching as well. On the other hand, tendonitis can cause pain anywhere in the wrist, and numbness occurs in the pinky. This last symptom usually helps provide a definitive diagnosis since the median nerve, which is affected by CTS, does not run through the pinky.
Pennsylvania workers who suffer from wrist pain caused by either CTS or tendonitis may not realize they can apply for workers’ compensation benefits to help pay for their medical and medical-related expenses relating to these repetitive motion injuries along with other benefits depending on the circumstances. The challenge may be to show they resulted from work duties. This is where the help of an experienced attorney could prove invaluable.
