The New York area is filled with workers in many different industries. No matter what industry you work in, you could be at risk of a repetitive motion injury.
What is a repetitive motion injury?
A repetitive motion injury, sometimes called a repetitive strain injury, occurs when your muscles or tendons are damaged due to constant and repeated movements.
The movements do not have to involve heavy lifting, bending or climbing, which are movements we typically associate with manual labor jobs.
Common causes of repetitive motion injuries
Rather, repetitive motion injuries can happen in all types of jobs, including office jobs. Some of the most common tasks performed in an office job can cause a repetitive motion injury, such as sitting at a desk, typing on a keyboard, clicking a mouse or holding a phone.
Repetitive motion injuries affect smaller parts of your body, such as wrists, elbows and shoulders, although they can impact all areas of your body.
Repetitive motion injuries can lead to serious conditions
You may think that repetitive motion injuries are not that serious, since they involve smaller parts of your body and the movement appears so minimal.
However, strained muscles or tendons from repetitive motion can damage major parts of your body, such as your back. The damage also slowly builds over time, which could result in fractures, herniated disks or other serious conditions.
What your employer should be doing
Most people cannot avoid the repetitive motion that comes with doing their jobs. Employers have a duty to provide a safe and healthy working environment, and this includes providing equipment designed to reduce this type of injury.
For example, if you have an office job, your employer should provide things like a chair that protects your back, or headphones to use for talking on the phone.
Your options after a repetitive motion injury
An injury caused by repetitive motion at your job is considered a workplace injury, and you could receive compensation through workers’ compensation benefits.