Occupational Injuries
Don’t Suffer in Silence
Generally related to repetitive motion during work-related tasks, occupational injuries are approached differently than injuries resulting from a single incident or accident. Patients suffering from an occupational injury often perform daily tasks that are repetitive and involve the same joints, tendons, and muscles in a targeted region—such as computer operators, assembly line workers, construction workers, or factory workers.
Injuries at the workplace may affect any part of the body and, at times, at multiple locations. Based on the body part affected, occupational injuries can be classified as injuries to the head, neck, upper extremities, lower limbs, and so on.
Common occupational injuries include:● Ankle sprains● Neuropathies● Repetitive motion injuries● Soft tissue injuries● Wrist sprains
Prevention
Reduce your risk.
Ergonomic specialists recommend the following adjustments to avoid workplace injuries, including back, neck, and shoulder pain:● Change your body position periodically throughout the day● Rearrange your work area to avoid excessive bending, stooping, and reaching● Try to relax, as many occupational injuries and painful episodes arise from continuously tensing your neck and shoulder muscles while working● Alternate tasks so that you can pause from repetitive motions for several minutes● Take short breaks that involve active exercise (walking, stretching, etc.)● Keep the top of your computer monitor at eye level and your elbows bent at a 90 degree ankle in order to reach the keyboard
Symptoms
Pinpoint your pain.
Workplace injury symptoms coincide with the specific injury incurred. However, the most frequently reported symptoms of repetitive motion injuries include:● Red skin that’s warm to touch● Pain reproduced when moving or flexing the affected area● Pain when resting the affected area● Tenderness● Decreased range of motion● Swelling● Joint stiffness● Tingling in the affected area
Diagnosis
Get the answers you need.
At our practice, occupational injuries are diagnosed using X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
Treatment
Life’s too short to put up with pain.
Helping patients manage work-related injuries and illness, our orthopaedic surgeons offer award-winning care to manage pain and expedite recovery. Non-invasive treatment options include:● Elevation and icing of the affected area● Heat or cold applications● Use of braces or splints to immobilize the affected area● Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs● Exercise programs to stretch and strengthen the area● Conditioning exercises to prevent further injury● Physical therapyDepending on the type and severity of injury, Dr. Robert Kayal, MD, and his orthopaedic team may treat occupational injuries by applying laser therapy to trigger points or larger tissue regions. As a result of these scientifically proven laser techniques, patients experience expedited rehabilitation and faster return to employment. A depomedrol injection may also be used for more stubborn work-related injuries.For more acute workplace injuries, surgery may be recommended.
Conditions
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Our Carpal Tunnel Specialists in Bergen County Can Restore Feeling, Eliminate Pain
The “carpal tunnel” is a narrow passageway that runs from the base of the hand through the wrist. The median nerve, which controls our sense of touch in the palm, and touch and fine movement in the thumb and three larger fingers, passes through the carpal tunnel along with several tendons. If any of those tendons become irritated, or any other swelling encroaches on the space within the tunnel, the median nerve can become compressed. Compression of the median nerve may cause symptoms that range from tingling in the fingers to pain radiating up the arm.
Causes
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve. People who genetically have smaller carpal tunnels are more vulnerable to the condition. Three out of every four people who develop carpal tunnel syndrome are women, most likely due to the anatomy of having smaller carpal tunnels than men. The stature of the smaller carpal tunnel leaves very little room for irritated tendons to swell without putting stress on the medial nerve, making the medial nerves in smaller tunnels more susceptible to experiencing pressure frequently and swiftly. Although carpal tunnel syndrome is more commonly considered a workplace injury, it can also happen to athletes. Kayal Orthopaedic Center’s experts in sports medicine will properly diagnose and treat carpal tunnel syndrome.
Other contributing factors include:● Trauma or injury to the wrist, such as a sprain or fracture● Overactive pituitary gland● Hypothyroidism● Rheumatoid arthritis● Mechanical problems in the wrist joint● Repetitive work-related wrist activity● Repeated use of vibrating hand tools● Fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause● Development of a cyst or tumor in the canalSymptoms
Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms often begin gradually and typically stem from the thumb side of the hand. Initially, symptoms may be intermittent, but without intervention, they may become chronic. The two most common forms of arthritis—rheumatoid and osteoarthritis—raise your risk for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Common symptoms include:● Numbness, tingling and pain in the hand, especially at night● An electric shock-like feeling mostly in the thumb, index and long fingers● Strange sensations and pain traveling up the arm toward the shoulder● Delicate motions, such as buttoning a shirt, become increasingly difficultDiagnosis
In order to diagnose you properly, your doctor will consider your symptoms, examine your hand and wrist, and ask you to perform specific movements that reproduce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Your doctor may also require you to have X-rays, an MRI or a nerve conduction test to look closely at the nerve function in your hand.
Treatment
Without some form of treatment, carpal tunnel syndrome will progressively worsen. However, if diagnosed and treated early by our specialists, relief can be attained through the following non-surgical treatments. In cases where non-surgical treatments fail to resolve carpal tunnel syndrome, our physicians, who specialize in hand and wrist surgery, will use their knowledge and expertise to perform either open or endoscopic surgery. Open surgery is designed to increase the size of the carpal tunnel and decrease pressure on the nerve, while endoscopic surgery is performed through a small incision and aims to cut ligaments in order to alleviate the pressure that’s being put on the median nerve. The end result of these surgical options is parallel, but each condition has specific determinants that make it better suited for certain situations. Our physicians will thoroughly evaluate each carpal tunnel syndrome situation to decide which surgery option is best for each patient’s individualized condition.
Repetitive Motion Injuries
Reliable Treatment for Repetitive Stress Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries are among the most common injuries in the United States, making up a large portion of athletic and work-related injuries. This condition develops from microscopic tears in the body’s tissues or strains to the body’s muscles, nerves, ligaments or tendons that occur from performing daily activities and motions.
The most common types of repetitive motion injuries include tendinitis, bursitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Causes
Often, causes of repetitive motion injuries include:● Repetitive activity● Trauma● Friction● Crystal deposits● Systemic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis
Symptoms
Repetitive motion injury symptoms coincide with the specific injury incurred. The most frequently reported symptoms include:● Red skin that’s warm to touch● Pain reproduced when moving or flexing the affected area● Pain when resting the affected area● Tenderness● Decreased range of motion● Swelling● Joint stiffness● Tingling in the affected area
Diagnosis
Our physicians diagnose repetitive motion injuries through physical examinations and imaging tests, such as MRIs, X-rays and CT scans.
Treatment
Treatment for repetitive motion injuries is focused on helping the patient return to their daily lifestyle with the highest level of function and independence as possible. Non-invasive treatment includes:● Elevation and icing of the affected area● Heat or cold applications● Use of braces or splints to immobilize the affected area● Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs● Exercise programs to stretch and strengthen the area● Conditioning exercises to prevent further injury● Physical therapy
For more severe cases, our physicians may recommend steroid injections or minimally invasive surgery to repair or remove inflamed tissue.