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| Employee Health & Wellness |
| Repetitive Strain Injuries: Cause for celebration? |
Like most injuries that end up as a workers’ compensation claim, Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs) are preventable. According to government statistics, RSIs account for nearly one third of workers’ compensation injury claims.
The risks of musculoskeletal injuries are present for every industry and include everything from carpal tunnel syndrome to sprained backs and herniated discs.
One of our goals is to help your company eliminate some of the risk of RSIs through education and training. Here are some suggestions for how you can help:
- Listen to your employees—they’re the best source for finding out where the real problems are.
- Check your workers’ comp. claims data, absenteeism records and other records that might give you clues about “risk factors” that have gone unnoticed.
- Don’t make implementing a plan to improve ergonomics a bigger deal than it is. Begin with the “quick fixes” to get the momentum going—the simple things like lowering computer keyboards, raising countertops, or providing protective braces.
- Encourage early reporting of problems. You can save costs and prevent employee pain by taking care of problems before they become workers’ compensation claims.
(Source: Dept of Labor and Industries)
How to Soothe a Repetitive Strain Injury
- Avoid the activity that hurts, if possible. At the very least, take a five-minute break every hour.
- Apply ice packs and if necessary, take an over-the-counter pain reliever (aspirin or ibuprofen) to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
- Check your workspace. Your hips and knees should be at 90-degree angles while you are sitting with your feet flat. If you type, your keyboard should be positioned so that your wrists can remain straight while typing and the top of your monitor should be even with your forehead.
- Stretching before work and during breaks helps immensely. If you need intensive stretching, try yoga.
RSI WARNING SIGNS—contact a physician
- Pain that lasts more than two weeks
- Numbness, burning or tingling
- Weakness in fingers hands or wrists (can signal carpal tunnel syndrome)
- Severe neck pain or numbness in legs and feet
(Source: Health Magazine)
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