Is Your Job the Cause of Your Repetitive Stress Injury? We Can Help

You spend a large chunk of your waking hours at work, likely performing many of the same tasks day after day. If you’re experiencing persistent numbness, tingling, or aching in your neck, hands, shoulders, or back, you may have a repetitive stress injury caused by your job.

At Pro-Health Urgent Care of Midland, our experienced urgent care specialists treat all types of injuries, including repetitive stress injuries related to work like carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, and tech neck. 

If your job is the source of your ongoing discomfort, we can help. Here, we explain how.

What are repetitive stress injuries?

Your body is built to move, adapt, and handle a significant amount of physical stress and strain. But it has its limits. Repeating the same motion over and over again places excessive strain on specific muscles, tendons, ligaments, or joints. Over time, this can lead to an injury. 

Tennis players, for example, frequently develop tennis elbow due to repetitive use of the elbow joint. But this condition isn’t limited to athletes. Carpenters who saw wood all day or bakers who knead bread for hours can also suffer from similar overuse injuries. 

Like athletes, without proper management, your job-related injury may lead to more problems or permanent damage.

Work-related repetitive stress injuries

Jobs that require repeated use of the same body parts can lead to a range of physical problems. Some of the more common work-related overuse injuries include: 

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Neck strain
• Back strain

These injuries don’t only affect people with physically demanding jobs. Office workers, health care providers, and factory employees are at risk, too.  

If you have pain, inflammation, or swelling of a joint or reduced mobility in a body part that you rely on for your work, it’s important to seek care before the problem worsens.

How we help

At Pro-Health Urgent Care of Midland, we provide fast, expert evaluations and treatment for repetitive stress injuries. Our team assesses your symptoms, determines the severity of your injury, and develops a personalized plan to relieve pain and prevent further damage.

Treatment for repetitive stress injuries that arise due to your job may include:

• Rest and activity modification
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Bracing or splinting
• Physical therapy
• Ergonomic changes to prevent recurrence

One of the most important parts of treating repetitive stress injuries is addressing the direct cause, which often involves poor ergonomics in your workspace or repeated tasks that strain the body. Making adjustments to your work environment or using ergonomic tools can help.

Depending on the degree of your injury, we may need to refer you to a specialist for further imaging and treatment. 

Don’t ignore the signs

Repetitive stress injuries often start with mild discomfort but can become debilitating if left untreated. If your job is affecting your health, don’t wait. Call our office in Midland, Michigan, today or schedule an appointment online so we can help you get relief.