Carpal tunnel syndrome and other kinds of repetitive stress injuries are some of the most common work-related injuries that employees face. You may be wondering if you apply for workers comp for carpal tunnel. It’s good to understand South Carolina workers compensation laws in order to find out if you’re eligible for benefits. An experienced workers comp lawyer can help navigate you through the steps to get workers comp for carpal tunnel.
What is carpal tunnel?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on your median nerve, which runs the length of your arm, going through a passage in your wrist called the carpal tunnel, ending in your hand. The median nerve controls most of the movement of your fingers, especially impacting the feeling of your thumb.
What causes carpal tunnel?
Repetitive motion like typing, lifting, bending, or pulling for long periods of time without proper breaks can cause carpal tunnel to arise.
Symptoms
There are are a variety of symptoms that people experience with carpal tunnel syndrome, including:
- Burning, tingling, or an itchy feeling in the palm of your hand and thumb or index and middle fingers
- A feeling that your fingers are “falling asleep”
- Numbness
- Slower nerve impulses
- Loss of strength and coordination, especially the ability to use your thumb to pinch (poor grip)
Treatment
People suffering from carpal tunnel fortunately do have many options when it comes to treatment.
- Immobilization of the area using braces or splints
- Physical therapy to stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons
- Steroid shots or anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling and pain
- Surgery
Workers comp for carpal tunnel
Carpal tunnel workers comp provides employees with the benefits they need to recover from the injury. In order to qualify for workers comp for carpal tunnel, you will need to be able to prove that the injury was caused by the requirements of your job. Work conditions that often lead to carpal tunnel include:
- Repetitive hand motions
- Unnatural hand positions
- Strong gripping
- Mechanical stress
- Vibration
Other conditions that lead to carpal tunnel in individuals include age, weight, medical history, gender, and previous injury. While carpal tunnel is a medical condition that can develop in just about any sort of employee, there are certain jobs where carpal tunnel is more likely to develop, such as for:
- Chefs, bakers, and cake decorators
- Truck drivers
- Delivery workers
- Janitors
- Data entry workers
- Administrative workers
- Nurses
- Mechanics
- Sewers
- Hairdressers
- Cashiers
- Factory or assembly workers
Proving your injury is work related to get workers comp for carpal tunnel
Since carpal tunnel can be linked to a variety of different factors, both occupational and non-occupational related, it can be difficult to get workers comp for carpal tunnel. You need to be able to provide proof that your condition resulted from work and not a personal reason. An experienced South Carolina workers comp attorney can help you collect the evidence you need to support your case and show that your condition is a result of work-related activity.
If you think your carpal tunnel was caused by your line of work or your work conditions, contact The Clardy Law Firm so our workers comp lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve for your recovery.
