Repetitive motion injuries, also called repetitive strain injuries, are a type of musculoskeletal disorder caused by doing the same motion over and over. They can happen to anyone but are particularly common in the workplace, where a worker’s job might consist of doing the same thing for most or all of a shift.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and tension neck syndrome are specific types of repetitive motion injuries that can be suffered or made worse while on the job. Collectively, these conditions are referred to as workplace-related musculoskeletal disorders.
Let’s take a closer look at these injuries, how they can develop in the workplace, and how to avoid them.
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Repeating the Same Motion Without Proper Rest
Tendons and ligaments that are used constantly throughout the day are especially vulnerable to repetitive motion injuries. For this reason, it’s important to give them a break and allow them a chance to recover.
For example, imagine someone has offered to pay you if you do a total of 200 push-ups at any point during the next 8 hours. If you did them all in a row, you’d probably start to feel sore pretty quickly. If you did 5 at a time and took a 5-minute break between sets, you might not feel sore at all because your body had enough time to recover.
In the same way, a typist or computer programmer who sits in front of a keyboard typing all day can develop carpal tunnel or other wrist injuries from repetitive motion, especially if they’re approaching a deadline and have to keep typing without an adequate break.
Unnatural Movements, Gripping, or Postures
Another major cause is unnatural movements, gripping, or postures that can add to ligament and tendon stress. For example, a cashier at a grocery store has to reach over to grab each item, scan it, and then either place it in a bag or hand it to another employee.
This cashier has to grip and lift hundreds of items in a day, some of which can weigh a few pounds (like a bag of flour or sugar). This can lead to stress on the tendons and ligaments of the arms, as well as those in the legs, as the motion will likely require them to pivot to the right and to the left.
Factory workers, especially those working on an assembly line, are particularly at risk for these types of injuries. Even employees with desk jobs who have to grip a computer mouse or type all day can suffer tendon damage in the hands or wrist.
Lack of Ergonomic Support
Ergonomic support devices can be very helpful for reducing injuries, and the lack of these supports can also be the cause of an injury. Imagine sitting in front of a computer at work all day, but instead of a comfortable office chair, you’re sitting on a hardwood chair. You’d likely develop back issues from the lack of lumbar support.
From our previous examples, you’ll notice that most cashiers have an ergonomic mat underneath their feet to avoid standing in one place on hard ground all day. However, you’ll rarely find one wearing a wrist support, even though they can prevent injuries.
Jobs that require picking up or moving heavy objects might not always require a lifting belt, but they can help prevent repetitive motion injuries as well as hernias by ensuring you receive adequate support in your midsection. Employers should make them available at the workplace, and employees should choose to use them when possible.
Environmental Factors
Another major cause of repetitive motion injuries is environmental factors. You might not expect it, but workplaces that are damp, too cold, or poorly ventilated can lead to injuries.
This is because your muscles and joints don’t have the heat or oxygen they need to operate at peak efficiency. If these parts of your body aren’t sufficiently resilient, you can end up damaging them, as well as your tendons and ligaments.
Employees whose jobs require them to work in walk-in freezers must be allowed a brief recovery period if they’re required to work in subzero temperatures for extended periods. If your workplace is cold, damp, or poorly ventilated when it shouldn’t be, you may need to speak with a work injury lawyer if you end up with a repetitive motion injury.
High Stress Levels
Perhaps the most surprising cause of workplace-related repetitive motion injuries is stress. Feeling stressed out by itself doesn’t actually cause the injury, but the body’s stress reaction has been shown in studies to be a significant risk factor.
Emotional stress affects your body’s ability to heal itself. It can lead to fatigue that makes it more difficult to repair small damage. In turn, this leads to smaller damage becoming more severe over time, resulting in a potentially severe repetitive strain injury.
When a big deadline is coming up that requires employees to work faster and take fewer breaks, the stress involved combines with other risk factors like poor ergonomics and limited rest times to drastically increase the risk of injuries, including those caused by repetitive motions.
Final Thoughts
Repetitive motion injuries, also called repetitive strain injuries, are caused by repeating a motion constantly (especially if it’s unnatural), bad posture, stress, inadequate rest periods, lack of ergonomic support, and environmental factors like damp conditions, cold rooms, and poor ventilation.
Employees should take care to prevent these injuries as much as possible, but employers must also provide conditions and materials, including ergonomic supports where applicable, to help mitigate injury risk as well.
As with all matters of safety, employees must also be allowed to speak up when presented with unsafe conditions or work requirements that can lead to an injury without fear of retaliation from management. Failure to do so creates an unsafe work culture that can lead to OSHA investigations and potential civil lawsuits from injured employees. For more information about workplace safety and your potential legal options after an on-the-job injury, Work Injury Advisor can be an excellent resource.