7 Common Stress Injuries

S tress Injuries or Repetitive Stress Injuries are the injuries that occur during an extensive amount of tasks that can cause damage to your tendons, nerves, or muscles.

These injuries come under the Most Common Stress Injuries because they occur due to our hectic day-to-day work lives. Getting diagnosed and seeking treatment can help before they become too serious.

Below we have mentioned some Common Stress Injuries that occur due to extensive work.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis is a medical condition related to the tendons of your body. This condition occurs when the tendons swell up and can cause inflammation or tear. Tendinitis can become acute or chronic depending on the delay of treatment. 

The symptoms of Tendinitis include pain and disability in movement around the affected area. This injury can become severe if not treated timely. Usually, people involved in gardening, carpentering, cleaning, or painting get affected by this injury.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common injury that may affect your hands. It occurs when pressure is increased on the median nerve on the wrist, causing pain, numbness, or weakness in hand movements. 

The Median Nerve is responsible for controlling the movement and sensation of the first three fingers and thumb. Repeated hand movements or gestures can cause median nerve sensitivity resulting in tingling, pain, reduced mobility, and weakness.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow or Lateral Epicondylitis occurs due to overload on the tendons, which results in degeneration, inflammation, or potential tearing of tendons. As the name suggests, it usually occurs in tennis players due to their tight grip on tennis racquets. While anyone can suffer from this injury but it is more likely for professionals involved in physically intensive work, such as carpenters, auto mechanics, plumbers, or landscapers, to be affected by Tennis Elbow injury.  

Symptoms of Lateral Epicondylitis may include swelling of elbow joints, pain or stiffness during elbow movement, burning sensation on the outer elbow, or a weakened grip.

Trigger Thumb/Finger

Trigger Thumb, or Trigger Finger, is a medical condition that may cause your thumb or fingers to get stuck in a bent position. They may look as if you are pressing a trigger. 

People with jobs involving repetitive movement of tightly gripping objects are most likely to get affected by this injury. These may include industrial workers, farmers, and musicians. This condition occurs due to inflamed tendons of the hand that may result in: 

• stiffness and pain while bending the thumb or fingers, 
• popping or snapping sensation, 
• swelling or lumps in the palm, 
• soreness, 
• or the disability of full finger flexion.  

In severe conditions, the fingers and thumb might get locked in the bent position.

Back Strains and Sprains

Back strain occurs due to an injury in a tendon or a muscle. Back sprain occurs due to the tear and stretch of a human ligament. 

The twist and pull of a tendon or a muscle can cause strain, while a sudden blow or twist on the body causes dislocation of joints that results in tearing and stretching of a ligament. 

Lifting heavy weights, having weak abdominal muscles, bending excessively, and being overweight might cause this injury. 

The symptoms may include constant back pain or cramps and limited or restricted back movements. In case of severity, a person might get a stiff or painful back.

Shin Splints

Shin Splints occur when the muscles and tendons pull up against the insertion of the tibia, causing severe pain and irritation in it. 

Usually, athletes, people from the military, or individuals with osteoporosis are most likely to suffer from this medical condition. 

The symptoms may include severe pain and reduced activity of the leg. 

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

This medical condition occurs due to compressed nerves running between the first rib and lower neck. Individuals with poor postures, repetitive movements such as working on a computer or the assembly line, and lifting heavy weights suffer from this injury. Symptoms may include pain in the neck and shoulders and finger numbness.

Are you working long hours and suffering pain in different parts of your body? It’s likely that you might have one or more of the Common Stress Injuries mentioned above. 

If you feel the symptoms of any of these Common Stress Injuries, we suggest you visit the nearest physician for a health checkup as soon as possible. Early diagnosis means early treatment and greater chances of complete recovery!