Repetitive motion injuries often happen when people perform repeated movements during everyday activities. Some of these injuries are temporary, but others can cause permanent damage to soft tissues like your muscles, tendons, nerves and ligaments. Without proper treatment, repetitive motion injuries can have the following long-term and adverse effects.
Nerve damage
This soft tissue injury might manifest in several ways, including weakness, tingling, numbness and pain in the body parts close to the damaged nerve.
Decreased motion
Damage to your muscles, tendons and ligaments may cause pain when you perform specific movements. You may also need to exert more energy to perform actions you used to do effortlessly.
Chronic pain
You may experience long-term pain in the affected body part. These sensations may also come and go. For example, some may manifest or intensify during cold weather.
Permanent disability
In severe cases, repetitive motion injuries may cause permanent loss of feeling or motion on the damaged body part, resulting in disability.
If your job involves repetitive actions, the following practices can help reduce your risk of injury and long-term effects.
- Take breaks. You will likely suffer an injury if you continuously perform the same movements for extended periods. Taking a break allows your body to rest and exposes it to a wider variety of motions.
- Stretch and exercise. Stretching and exercising can help strengthen your soft tissues and make them more flexible, helping them become more resistant to injuries.
- See a doctor. Ignoring symptoms like pain might lead an existing injury to worsen. A visit to your doctor can help uncover injuries that are not immediately apparent and lead to prompt treatment.
Repetitive motion injuries can result in severe conditions that are difficult and costly to treat and recover from. If your injuries are work-related, an attorney can help you file a workers’ compensation claim and protect your rights.
