Repetitive Motion Injuries

Not all workplace injuries are sudden or immediately obvious. Doing the same thing every day, especially if the work is strenuous, will wear down your body and can eventually lead to an injury. Continually lifting, pulling, pushing — or even just typing at your computer in specific ways  — can strain your muscles and ligaments. In fact, repetitive stress is the second leading cause of all workplace injuries. 

Here are some of the most common repetitive motion injuries:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Common in jobs requiring frequent typing and physical labor involving the wrist, carpal tunnel occurs when the median nerve (which runs from the forearm into the palm) becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, and pain in the arm, hand, and fingers.
• Tendonitis: Inflammation or irritation of a tendon, which attaches muscles to the bone, in the wrists, elbows, and shoulders, can result from repetitive stress and lead to different types of tendonitis. Common forms include tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and rotator cuff tendonitis.
• Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursae — small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles near joints — is known as bursitis. This condition often affects the shoulder, elbow, hip, or knee.
• De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: This condition manifests as an inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. It can be painful to make a fist, grasp or hold objects, or turn the wrist, all of which are crucial components of some workers’ job duties. 
• Trigger Finger: Also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, trigger finger causes pain, stiffness, and a sensation of locking or catching when bending and straightening your finger. Trigger finger is common among workers who frequently exert force with their fingers, such as those who manipulate small parts in manufacturing, contractors who use screwdrivers or drills that require forceful gripping, and agricultural workers who use their fingers for tasks like milking or other delicate activities.
• Epicondylitis: Overuse of the forearm muscles can injure the outside and inside of the elbow. This leads to the development of both tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, both forms of epicondylitis. This condition typically occurs in jobs that require manual labor or the use of tools.
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: This condition arises from the compression of nerves or blood vessels that serve the arms, resulting in pain in the shoulders and neck, as well as numbness in the fingers.
• Raynaud’s Phenomenon: If you sometimes experience color changes (white to blue to red) in the fingers, toes, or other extremities, it might be a case of Raynaud’s Phenomenon. This condition can be exacerbated by the use of vibrating equipment typically found in construction work or exposure to cold conditions.