There are many ways in which muscles, tendons and joints can be put under strain during peoples’ working lives. If the duration of the activity is short, and rest periods are frequent, damage can be minimised. However, if this activity is not managed properly, serious damage can occur to various parts of the body.
There are three main factors in developing a repetitive strain injury:
- Force – the application of excessive manual force
- Frequency or duration of movement – including work rates which are too intense
- Rigid or awkward posture – whether that be for the hand, wrist, arm or shoulder, or in some cases legs, ankles and feet.
Prevention
When carrying out work that involves any of the three factors above, it is important to take plenty of short rest breaks to allow the muscles to rest. Incorporating a short exercise of flexing and stretching out the limbs will also help to remove the feeling of strain, stimulate the circulation and hence refresh the system and remove toxins that build up when you are still for a long time. For anyone experiencing pain, numbness or tingling, it is important that you recognise what is happening to your body and report the symptoms. A GP or physiotherapist might be able to help if damage has occurred, but a proper risk assessment beforehand might alleviate the risk in the first place.
Treatments
As stated above, in most cases RSI can be avoided if a proper risk assessment is carried out and sensible procedures put in place, but if you have already developed a repetitive strain injury then what can be done to minimise the pain? If your doctor can diagnose a specific medical condition there are a range of established treatments that can be put in place including medication, cold-packs, supports or splints, physiotherapy, steroid injections or even surgery. In some cases it is more difficult to diagnose the exact cause of the pain and sometimes yoga or acupuncture can be of assistance.
What if it’s too late?
If you have developed a repetitive strain injury through your employment and your employer has not done what they can to help, it is possible you might be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Employers have a duty to look after the needs of their employees, and that includes providing safe working conditions and practices to avoid the risk of RSI. Contact us today and see if we can help you getting the compensation you deserve.