Despite the many safeguards that an employer might put in place, there are a variety of different workplace injuries that a worker in Illinois may face. Many people automatically think of safety violations or serious falls when they think of a workplace injury. However, a person’s life can be seriously impacted by a much more subtle form of an injury — repetitive motion injuries.
These painful and sometimes life-altering injuries typically occur due to overuse. When the same action is performed over and over, muscle fibers can tear and become fatigued to the point where the damage cannot be recovered. In some cases, the damage is so severe that a person can end up disabled and unable to perform basic day-to-day tasks, such as carrying groceries, holding a baby or cooking.
Doctors suggest a variety of different remedies for such an injury. Some include simple fixes — taking breaks, stretching, pain relief medications and applying heat or cold to the injured area. However, others can include physical therapy or even surgery, as in some cases of carpal tunnel. Relief could take a long time to come, and some people have even had to seek a different job or stop working altogether.
Clearly, some of the treatments for repetitive motion injuries could include long-term medical care and result in large medical bills. Many people facing such an injury could be covered by workers’ compensation coverage through their employer. However, the process regarding this compensation is sometimes complicated and confusing, leading many in Illinois to seek guidance from those well-versed in the laws governing such state-regulated insurance benefits.
Source: webmd.com, “Treatment for Repetitive Strain Injury”, , Sept. 21, 2014
