Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a condition that can affect workers as a type of repetitive stress injury.
Just what is it? What sort of side effects does it have on a sufferer? Can it impact a person’s ability to work?
Who suffers from tennis elbow?
Mayo Clinic discusses tennis elbow and what this means for workers. Generally speaking, this condition is a painful one that primarily affects the tendons in the elbow, usually after they get overloaded by repetitive motion or strain from lifting heavy items.
Many people can suffer from tennis elbow, not just tennis players. People with similar risk include plumbers, carpenters, butchers and painters. Anyone who makes a repetitive motion during their job that involves the use of the elbow could fall victim to this issue.
Due to the potential pain and weakness that often accompanies these injuries, workers can find it hard to grip or shake objects, turn doorknobs, hold cups, or utilize the tools that are necessary for their job.
Potential job risks
In fact, that is one of the biggest issues for workers. They often cannot continue doing the work that caused the initial injury, because it is physically impossible or because it risks doing even more damage to the body.
Of course, this leaves a worker wondering what they will do regarding their finances. After all, workers only have so much paid time off and sick leave. This is where people will start looking into potential compensation options for the repetitive stress injuries that caused their tennis elbow, which can help ease the financial burden.
