Repetitive motion injuries: What is tendinitis?

One of the most common repetitive motion injuries is known as tendinitis. This condition comes about as a result of doing the same motion over and over again on a daily basis without rest. Any worker — even an office worker who uses a computer mouse and keyboard every day — can contract debilitating tendinitis.

Here is a little bit more information about tendinitis that every California worker should know:

• Shoulders, elbows and biceps are some of the most common areas where someone can suffer from tendinitis.
• Tendinitis relates to the chronic inflammation of affected tendons.
• Men tend to have tendinitis more than women.
• The place where tendons become inflamed is usually at the insertion site where they connect to the bone.
• Tenosynovitis is similar to tendinitis. It happens where tendons pass through a lubricated sheath at the muscle’s insertion point. With too much motion and not enough rest, this sheath can become chronically inflamed, resulting in tenosynovitis, which is treated in a similar way to tendinitis.
• Sometimes, carpal tunnel syndrome involves tenosynovitis.

The most frustrating thing about a repetitive motion injury is the fact that it won’t get better until you give this area of your body a good rest. You might think, however, that you don’t have the luxury to rest this part of your body if you regularly use it on the job.

Think again: If you’re suffering from tendinitis or any other kind of repetitive motion injury caused by your work, you might be able to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. If successfully navigated, such a claim could pay for the time you need to rest from work and heal from your job-related injuries.

Source: WebMD, “Repetitive motion injuries,” accessed Dec. 15, 2017