How Do You Diagnose Repetitive Strain Injury?

How much compensation for repetitive strain injury

Diagnose Your RSI

How is Repetitive Strain Injury Diagnosed?

If you have notice pain, tingling and cramp in your arms, hands or wrists and these symptoms continue to persist for longer than two or three days, you should consult your GP who will be able to diagnose your symptoms and offer medical advice and your treatment options.

Although There’s no single test for RSI it can be diagnosed by your GP from your symptoms. Often the symptoms can go away if you have to give up work or the job that caused your RSI to begin with. Your Doctor will examine the your affected hand, wrist, arm or your neck and will ask about your symptoms, medical history as well as any repetitive tasks you carry out at work.

Your GP will be able to diagnose your RSI as either Type 1 RSI or Type 2 RSI.

Type 1 RSI can be diagnosed from your symptoms and can be identified a medical condition such as nerve entrapment (carpal tunnel syndrome – CTS). If your GP cannot diagnose you for having Type 1 or an associated Type 1 condition (such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), then you may require a X ray or blood test to rule out inflammatory joint diseases or osteoarthritis. If neither diagnosed, then you will be diagnosed with Type 2 RSI or non-specific upper limb pain syndrome

Over-use of one part of the body can have a cumulative effect over extended periods of time. The repeated action or actions can cause tiny tears in muscles, which in otherwise healthy people will generally heal relatively easily. However, this repeated stress and repair will ultimately lead to a contraction of the associated muscle which will affect the limb , so causing the discomfort and possible pain and consequent impairment of normal function.

What's Repetitive Strain Injury?

Repetitive strain injury (also known as RSI) is a disorder involving the impaired function of upper limbs of the body due to damaged tendons, nerves and muscles or other soft tissue(s) due to repetitive movement and overuse.

The condition mostly affects the:

Forearm
Elbow
Wrists
Hands
It can also occur in your back and neck.

If you have a job that requires repetitive tasks with your hands or fingers or exposes you to vibrating tools or equipment and you feel that you may be suffering with Repetitive Strain Injury, you should speak with your doctor and contact Mercury Legal Online Free on 0800 028 2060 about a claim for compensation. If you’ve experienced any of the symptoms for RSI such as tingling, numbness or reduced grip strength you should speak to your local GP immediately about arranging a test for Repetitive Strain Injury.

RSI Symptoms

RSI usually involves the arms, wrists or hands – or a combination of any of the upper limbs. The symptoms of the condition vary usually causes tingling, numbness or tiredness and a lack of strength in the area affected. Additionally, symptoms can include pain when trying to use the limb affected, leading to it becoming impared, resulting in some sufferers to give up work.

Am I at Risk of Developing RSI?

Repetitive jobs at work over a long period of time are the main cause of RSI. People working on assembly lines, packers and machinists are just some examples of employees who are prone to these repeated movements at work. Office jobs based on using a keyboard, input pad and/or mouse can cause Repetitive Strain Injury particularly if the duties include data entry . This is particularly the case if these duties amount to two hours a day or more and especially when the staff member is not able to take regular breaks to rest the affected hand, wrist or arm.

Stressful jobs, a high-pressure environment and poor posture are other risk factors that may also compound the chances of Repetitive Strain Injury at work.

Can You Treat a Repetitive Strain Injury?

If recognised and treated early , RSI can be successfully managed. Treatment for RSI involves reducing or avoiding the tasks at work that caused the problem and taking regular exercise including therapeutic stretches.

Your doctor may be able to give you a Steroid injection straight into the wrist to ease pressure on the nerve and give temporary relief for some mild sufferers.

Having removed or minimised the cause of the problem, treatment in mild cases often involves starting with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs for example Ibuprofen. Always consult your doctor.

Jobs That Can Cause RSI

Any job which has repeated actions over a long time can add to the risk of developing RSI. Some jobs such as office or assembly line workers are known to be at particular risk. However some of the following professions are also at risk of developing RSI:

Food Pickers
Cleaners
Supermarket Checkout
Data Entry Administrators and programmers
Factory workers
Meat Processing operatives
Workers on Assembly lines
Long Distance Lorry Drivers
Machinists
Decorators and Painters
Sewing Machinists
Builders and Manual Labourers
Maunal labourers using vibrating tools
Fruit Pickers

Individuals who would otherwise have still had a lot to contribute to the workplace have had little option other than to stop working, due to the disabling effects of RSI. If you’ve had to stop working because of your symptoms, we suggest that you should consult your Doctor and contact Mercury Legal Online on 0800 028 2060.

Claiming For Repetitive Strain Injuries

Suffering with Repetitive Strain Injury?

RSI can be debilitating and can prevent you from doing your job, performing everyday domestic tasks and enjoying your leisure activities and hobbies. Speak to one of our specialist RSI claims solicitors today and get the compensation you deserve for your injury.

Call 0800 028 2060 or fill in our call-back form today.

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