Have you ever tried laying down without putting pressure on your mid-back? Have you tried to drink a cup of coffee without bending your elbow? These are almost to impossibilities. Imagine going for months without being able to drink a cup of coffee normally? And stomach sleeping? That isn’t good for you to begin with, so why try and start that habit now? Shoulder and Elbow injuries are more linked than you think. The shoulder commands a lot of authority over your arms. Once you lose the ability to move on all the tendons and ligaments connected are also strained and can render incapacitated. If you can’t sleep or drink your coffee then you certainly cannot work and that is the real problem.
Shoulders and elbows are vulnerable body parts that can be prone to many injuries when completing tasks that require recurring and constant motion like lifting, pulling, or reaching for items. Employees in the workplace can also be susceptible to injuries whenever a machine malfunctions if they slip or trips on wet floors. Either way, if these injuries are sustained at work, due to employer negligence you are entitled to workers’ compensation.
California laws on shoulder and elbow injuries for workers’ compensation require that an employee who has suffered a work-related injury get the proper medical coverage, disability insurance, and vocational rehabilitation.
Those who work in health care are one of the top class of people who struggle with shoulder and elbow injuries. Other reasons for this kind of injury are due to slip and falls and repeated behavior. For example, if you are constantly lifting medium to heavy materials then you are at risk for symptoms of shoulder and elbow pain. If you are a landscaper, construction worker, manufactory worker, retail worker, or health care worker then you are subjected to constantly putting things over your head. You are constantly reaching up or down or to the side. These kinds of movements if done with repetition and weighted can result in harm done to your shoulder and elbow. If you are feeling pain while doing normal chores then more than likely you are feeling pain at work. The best way to treat this pain is to start early on recovery and rehabilitation. Do not wait.
Shoulder and elbow injuries occur from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or an injury that goes undetected over time. The process of natural aging is also a key factor in determining shoulder and elbow injuries or how our body functions as a whole. For workplace shoulder and elbow injuries to happen there has to be too much stress placed on the joint or other tissue. When that is done repeatedly or overdone in exercise is when problems arise.
Shoulder injuries can either be minor or major enough to justify medical attention. Symptoms of shoulder injuries are excruciating or mild pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, or general weakness of the shoulder or elbow. If you notice any changes in color or temperature and range of motion that is a telltale sign as well.
With elbow injuries, you need your elbow for just about every motion with your arm. You use your elbow when you throw, lift, swing, and hug family members. Injuries to the elbow pose a significant inconvenience and must be tended to quickly in order to get you back to a normal life. The two categories of elbow injuries one may suffer in the workplace are either one-time injuries or wear and tear injuries. One-time injuries happen instantly and cause immediate harm like a dislocated elbow, strains and sprains, and fractures. On the reverse side, wear and tear injuries occur over time after certain repeating motions or activities. Bursitis, stress fractures, and trapped nerves all fall into this category of wear and tear.
Shoulder injuries are classified into two main categories either sudden or acute and overuse. Each classification consists of its own shoulder-related problems and is all treated differently from another. Regardless of your injury classification, you want a trusted expert to evaluate your symptoms for a proper diagnosis before treatment. Otherwise, you will have another whole issue on your hands.
Here are some common injuries to shoulders and elbows:
Any worker is prone to shoulder and elbow injuries in the workplace, no one is immune. There are some jobs that do offer more of a risk for shoulder and elbow injuries like construction, manufacturing, and assembly line workers, truck and bus drivers, butchers, farm and field workers, mechanics, and cleaning industry workers to name a few. The best piece of advice we can offer before you accept a position is to know what you are getting yourself into, what is expected of you, and the risks involved with the job.
These are just some injuries and as you can tell they don’t just go away overnight. Hiring a workers’ compensation attorney can ensure that your job is taking you seriously and not blaming your injuries on other activities or age. Call 818-610-8800 or click here to speak securely with our Los Angeles workers’ compensation attorneys at JML Law, a Professional Law Corporation.
Every case is unique and needs to be evaluated by our experienced lawyers. If you have been injured in a work-related accident,