These days it is becoming increasingly common for people in California to work from home remotely. Prior to the current global health crisis only 6% of workers in the U.S. worked from home. By May 2020, over one-third of U.S. workers worked from home. However, many hours spent in front of the computer can lead to an uptick in repetitive stress injuries. The following is an overview of some common repetitive stress injuries that those who work from home may suffer.
What are some common repetitive stress injuries?
A repetitive stress injury is a health condition a person suffers from making the same, repeated motions throughout the course of their normal work activities. Repetitive stress injuries commonly affect the hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders. Some examples of repetitive stress injuries include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Bursitis
- Tendonitis, and
- Trigger finger
A person can develop a repetitive stress injury if they make too many uninterrupted repetitions of a certain motion, especially if the motion is unnatural or awkward. Overexertion can also cause repetitive stress injuries.
How are repetitive stress injuries treated?
Ultimately, if you suffer a repetitive stress injury, you will likely need to reduce or stop the motions that cause the injury. If that is not possible, taking rest breaks, stretching, icing the injury and taking pain relievers may help.
Seek workers’ compensation for repetitive stress injuries
If a repetitive stress injury keeps you from working, you may want to learn more about pursuing workers’ compensation benefits. Our firm’s webpage on workers’ compensation has information that injured workers may find useful.
