The human body can stand up to a lot of wear and tear, but there comes a time when it cannot withstand anything more without breaking down. When you do the same activities day in and day out, it’s normal for the body to suffer from repetitive strain and stress.
Overuse injuries can be painful and lead to chronic health concerns. Some common kinds of repetitive stress injuries include:
- Tendinosis
- Tenosynovitis
- Bursitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
These injuries, and others, can be caused by:
- Repeatedly using a computer mouse
- Typing
- Grasping tools
- Training for sports
- Swiping items as a cashier
Repetitive stress injuries usually affect the neck, shoulders elbows and forearms. It’s typical to see issues in other areas of the body if they’re used regularly, too.
What symptoms show that you could have a repetitive stress injury?
Symptoms of repetitive strain on your joints may include:
- Tenderness
- Pain
- Tingling
- Weakness
- Sensitivity to cold and heat
- Stiffness of a joint
In the early stages, you may be able to rest the joint or body part and see an improvement in its condition. In later stages, an overuse injury may continue to cause pain and dysfunction on a daily basis. You may need to seek support through workers’ compensation at that point so that you can see a doctor, go through physical therapy or even retrain for a new position that does not impact you in the same way.
Repetitive stress injuries can be hard to avoid in some industries, but if you notice that you’re developing one, you need to tell your employer. You should be able to get time to rest and recover along with the medical care you need.
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