What Does it Take to Prove a Repetitive Strain Injury?
- Posted on: Apr 30 2020
A repetitive strain injury or RSI is an injury caused by overusing a part of the body or by being exposed to a repetitive environmental hazard. Carpal tunnel is one of the most well-known repetitive strain injuries. Those who work on a computer for hours a day, often experience this RSI due to the repetitive movements of their hands and wrists. Hearing loss, however, can also be an RSI when it occurs after being exposed to loud noises regularly. While it may seem easy to connect the cause to the injury, proving an RSI for workers’ comp isn’t always that simple.
Understand the Signs and Symptoms
The first step in proving an RSI is to recognize that you have one. This means you need to understand the different symptoms. These include pain, tenderness, aches, tingling, and numbness. You may suffer from reduced flexibility and range of motion. You may also experience some weakness or lack of coordination. You may also experience a loss of sense in cases related to hearing or vision.
The difficulty here is that these symptoms come on very gradually. You may not even realize just how long you’ve dealt with them or how bad they’ve become because you experience the injury slowly over a period of months or years.
Notify Your Employer
Next, you need to notify your employer that you believe you’re suffering from a work-related RSI. Employers are required to take steps to stop the injury from worsening. You will then see a specialist who understands the type of injury you’re dealing with and can properly diagnose it. It can be difficult to diagnose some RSIs due to their nature, but these experts understand the injuries and will be able to assist you.
File a Workers’ Comp Claim
Once you have an official diagnosis, you can file a worker’s comp claim for the injury. This will cover any medical treatments needed to control the pain and repair the damage done. It will also provide income replacement if you have to take off work and even reimburse you for travel if you have to see an out-of-town specialist.
Work with the Right Expert
Dr. Jeff Mollins has years of experience in diagnosing workers’ comp injuries, including RSIs. Contact him today to schedule an appointment to discuss your injury.
Posted in: Blog, Injury Documentation, Injury Treatment, Work Injuries, Workers Compensation
