When people think about workplace injuries that affect a worker's ability to perform a job, they often think of major traumas like a brain injury, amputation or broken bones.

However, there are a number of minor conditions a person can experience which can prove to be quite troubling and painful. In today's modern workplaces, many people develop and suffer from conditions that are referred to as repetitive stress injuries. These injuries can be caused or exacerbated by workplace environments that require a person to complete tasks over and over again. While they may be sporadic or just uncomfortable at first, they can turn into serious health conditions that affect a person's ability to work.

Repetitive stress injuries are also referred to as repetitive strain injuries or overuse syndrome. Essentially, they develop when a person's muscles, tendons or nerves are repeatedly damaged or strained.

One example of this type of injury that many people are familiar with is carpal tunnel syndrome. However, there are a number of other conditions that can be categorized as a repetitive stress injury. Most often, these conditions will affect a person's upper body including the back, shoulders, neck, elbows or fingers and result in painful symptoms like inflammation or cramping. People can also experience numbness.

Over time, these injuries can get much worse if left untreated. In order to limit the damage and pain caused by a repetitive stress injury, it can be crucial to seek medical attention and find treatments that can be helpful in easing or eradicating the symptoms.

Of course this treatment can take a financial toll on an injured worker who may need to take time off work, seek medical attention or be unable to complete essential job functions as a result. In order to at least partially cover these expenses, workers' compensation is made available to people who have suffered these conditions as a result of their job. 

An injury or illness does not have to be a major catastrophic condition to qualify for workers' compensation. Workers struggling with a repetitive stress injury may want to consult a doctor and an attorney to understand more about their options for getting care and compensation for a workplace injury.