One of the more common injuries that people suffer in the workplace is called carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there is constant pressure applied to the median nerve that is responsible for movement of the hand and fingers. This nerve travels down the forearm through the underside of the wrist to the hand. The median nerve is encased in a passage called the carpal tunnel along with other tendons. When the nerve swells due to the constant pressure applied to it, the nerve takes up all the room in the narrow tunnel and then the nerve gets pinched along with the tendons.
When a person is in the workplace, they are often putting too much pressure on the underside of the wrist while working at computers or doing other repetitive motions. When the nerve and tendons get pinched, the person can experience a loss of sensation in the hand, aches, pains, and weakness. These accidents are particularly common in certain industrial settings in Georgia including in poultry plants and factories.
Long Term Injuries
Carpal tunnel is not something that comes and goes on a regular basis. Once a person starts experiencing the symptoms, they progressively get worse. The symptoms can be manifested in a number of ways, but they almost always include any of the following:
- Numbness or tingling in the hand and fingers
- Loss of strength in the fingers, hand and forearm
- Pain in the hand, wrist, arm and shoulder
- Loss of hand dexterity
- Loss of grip
If a person keeps doing the activity that is causing the carpal tunnel syndrome, they will eventually need to seek out treatment and they may no longer be able to perform their job.
Treatments
Receiving proper treatment is the key to preventing carpal tunnel injuries from getting any worse and preserving your ability to continue with your current job duties. The first step is having a physician determine an appropriate course of treatment based on the nature and severity of your condition. Some doctors recommend surgery as a good course of action. Others may perform what is called carpal tunnel release where they make a small incision on the underside of the wrist and then either remove tissue from the top of the carpal tunnel or simply widen it. This serves to ease the pressure on the median nerve as it enters the hand. Some physicians recommend corticosteroid shots or other medications. In some cases, wearing wrist and forearm splints that straighten the hand wrist juncture can take the pressure off of the underside of the wrist.
Workers’ Compensation
When you have developed carpal tunnel syndrome due to demands placed on you from your job, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. If you are located in the Atlanta area or anywhere in Georgia we invite you to contact our law offices today to discuss your potential workers’ compensation claim so that we can provide you with a free evaluation. We have been handling workers’ compensation cases in Georgia for more than 27 years. We have a team of attorneys who limit their practice to this area of the law because we believe that this enables us to do the best job possible, and pride ourselves on helping our clients receive just compensation for their injuries.
As a sufferer of carpal tunnel syndrome, you may not be able to return to the same type of job that you were doing when the injury occurred. We have represented those in Georgia injured in the poultry and other industries that could not return to work after suffering repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel. Our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys may be able to help you obtain workers’ compensation benefits to compensate for temporary or permanent disability.
While the workers’ compensation system in theory is supposed to be a fast, efficient way for an employee to seek compensation for medical expenses and lost wages resulting from a work-related injury, unfortunately this is not always the case. It can sometimes be difficult to determine if a particular situation or injury will be covered.
The experienced Georgia workers compensation attorneys of Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, have been representing employees injured on the job for over 39 years. Make sure you know your legal rights. Contact us today for your free consultation. We are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia including, but not limited to, Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. Call us today for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED® (1-800-529-6333), or visit us on the web at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat. No matter where you are, you are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you.
