RSI
We all know that work takes its toll.
Damage to our moving and load bearing parts, our muscles, tendons and joints are by far the most common of all occupational injuries. Sometimes damage to these structures has a side effect of causing damage to a nearby nerve. Occasionally our activities damage a nerve directly.
These are often called repetitive strain injuries because they usually happen when the person has repeated the action many times. The most common such injuries are probably to the back. The second most common are to the hands, arms and shoulders, collectively termed “upper limb disorders.”
In fact it is not just the repetition that causes the problem, but also the force used, the time over which the force is applied and the physical technique used in the activity.
Raleys specialise in these claims.
Upper Limb Disorders
The injuries are very common in industrialised societies, probably caused by the organisation of much of our work into repeated processes.
Common problems are:-
- Tennis & golfers elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Ulnar neuropathies
- Tendonitis
- Tenosynovitis
- DeQuervain’s syndrome
- Rotator cuff syndrome
- Non specific chronic pain syndrome
Several different factors contribute. These include the amount of force you use, the period you sustain that force, whether you apply that force in a good posture for your body, the number of times you repeat that action.
A job where you use a lot of force in a poor posture may be damaging but a job where much lighter force is used much more frequently and with a good posture may not be damaging.
Most people don’t realise there might have been something wrong with what they were doing until they have suffered an injury. This is because the human body is very adaptable and seems capable until it is pushed to its limit.
There is plenty of advice to employers about how to prevent these injuries. Unfortunately, this is often ignored.
Raleys are experienced in giving advice as to whether their work has caused an injury and are happy to help.
