Encino Attorneys for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Repetitive Use Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries are a leading cause of California workers’ compensation claims and often cause more days of missed worked than other classes of injuries. Despite increased awareness of these facts and safer work habits, repetitive motion injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome have actually increased in recent years, likely due to growth in the manufacturing and service sectors, where these types of injuries most often arise. The workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of Sef Krell understand the pain and debilitating effects these injuries can cause. Our lawyers are dedicated to helping injured workers prove the facts of their case and successfully recover the workers’ compensation benefits that they are entitled to.
Many jobs can cause repetitive motion injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome
Traditionally, the thought of repetitive motion injuries conjured up images of assembly line workers in a manufacturing plant, performing the same task day after day. Now, the proliferation of computers and keyboarding has brought office workers to the front of people’s minds, as more and more people spend more and more time in front of a computer monitor each day. But repetitive motion injuries occur across the spectrum of industries and occupations, from scrubbing a floor to laying carpet to sewing and meatpacking.
This type of repetitive strain causes tears in body tissue which occur faster than the body’s ability to heal them, eventually leading to severe pain and loss of use of the affected area. Repetitive motion injuries occur most often at the joints and in particular where repetitive motion puts a strain on the muscles and tendons in the area. Two of the most common are tendinitis and bursitis:
Tendinitis – Tendinitis is caused by the swelling of a tendon, a type of tissue which connects muscles to bones and is vital to movement. Tendinitis occurs most often in the shoulder and the elbow. A similar condition is tenosynovitis, which can occur when the lubricating sheath which surrounds the tendon becomes inflamed rather than the tendon itself.
Bursitis – Bursitis is the inflammation or swelling of a bursa, which is a small pouch or sac in the body that serves to cushion or lubricate the area between the tendons and bones. Bursitis most often
occurs in the elbow, knee or hip.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve which travels down the arm and into the hand. The carpal tunnel refers to the narrow space between a ligament in the wrist and the wrist bones (carpals) that the nerve passes through. Pressure on the nerve over time can cause pain as well as a loss of sensation and the ability to control the thumb and certain fingers of the hand.
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused in many different ways, including trauma such as a broken wrist or an illness such as rheumatoid arthritis causing inflammation. In the workplace, carpal tunnel syndrome may be brought about by activities that produce prolonged pressure on the wrist or require the wrist to be overextended. People whose jobs involve large amounts of keyboarding or other use of the hands should try to make sure the best ergonomic work environment is available and seek evaluation and treatment at the first sign of numbness, tingling or other strange sensation in the fingers and hand.
Seek Experienced Legal Representation with Your Repetitive Motion Injury Claim
Since repetitive motion injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome do not always arise from a single, identifiable traumatic event but rather arise over time, it can be difficult to prove that the injury was work-related. Employers and their insurance companies may fight hard to argue that your injury occurred somewhere other than the workplace, which is why you need an experienced California workers’ compensation attorney on your side, fighting for the success of your claim. In Los Angeles and Southern California, contact the Law Offices of Sef Krell for immediate help.
