Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Illinois Work Injuries

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common types of work injuries. If you think you may have carpal tunnel, you should get to a doctor and report the injury to your employer. Also, don’t put off formally filing a workers’ compensation claim. That is usually done through an attorney. If you need a lawyer recommendation please contact us for a no cost, confidential consultation with an attorney.

Carpal tunnel is a repetitive stress injury, meaning that it isn’t usually caused by a single event, but rather by overuse. For this reason, it can be difficult to determine when it began. Our recommendation is to get it checked out right away because the sooner you get treatment the better off you’re likely to be.
The most common cause of carpal tunnel is typing, but it can often be caused by working with your hands on an assembly line, repetitive activity at a checkout counter or a traumatic evenet.

Here is some additional information about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Signs and symptoms
The first signs of a carpal tunnel injury usually include numbness, tingling or pain in the wrist. These feelings may radiate up the arm or into your fingers. A doctor can perform a nerve conduction test (known as an EMG) to determine whether you have carpal tunnel or some other type of repetitive-stress injury.

Causes
Carpal tunnel, like most repetitive-stress injuries, is caused by using the hands and wrists in the same way over and over again. Typing is a common cause of carpal tunnel. Similar causes include opening and closing the hand (squeezing or grasping motion) or bending the wrist repetitively.

Other conditions may cause or contribute to carpal tunnel, including thyroid problems, broken bones, arthritis, menopause and pregnancy. While these conditions may not be caused by your job, if your job aggravates or accelerates carpal tunnel (makes it worse), you still may be eligible for benefits. In other words, don’t let anyone tell you that because you have a pre-existing condition you are not eligible for workers’ compensation.

Treatment options
Depending on the severity of your injury, your doctor may recommend wearing a splint to relieve pressure and reduce the inflammation that causes the numbness and pain. Anti-inflammatory medication also may be an option.

In more severe cases, your doctor may recommend cortisone injections or even surgery. If your job is to blame for your carpal tunnel, all medical treatment should be covered 100%. You shouldn’t have any co-pays or out-of-pocket expenses to worry about.

As we mentioned earlier, you also may be entitled to payment for lost wages if you can’t work because of your injury or while you are recovering from surgery. If your injury is permanent, you may get payment for that as well.

If you have any questions about carpal tunnel syndrome or other repetitive stress injuries, give us a call. One of our staff attorneys will talk to you about your injury, answer your questions and help you find a good attorney who can help you ensure you are getting all benefits available to you under Illinois workers’ compensation law.