Injury from Work - what next?

LegacyUser

Going unregged for this for obvious enough reasons. Any advice welcomed.

I have tendonitis due to RSI and have been off work on doctors orders for the past month (both my doctor and the doctor that work sent me to see recommended this).

I'm now back in work after that month. When I was off, after about a week all the pain I was in completely went away. But now that I'm back (only since Monday) I'm in pain again. My hand is completely in spasm again and while it's not as bad as it was before I know it'll get that way if I don't stop typing.

My job mostly involves typing - there isn't anything else really to do if I'm not typing. So I'm just sitting here doing nothing. Needless to say, that can't go on indefinitely.

The doctor that work sent me to see recommended all kinds of physio and the like but I haven't got the funds at the moment to pay for it. He said he would recommend that work pay for it but they haven't offered despite me mentioning that it may be necessary. They are setting me up with a new keyboard and mouse which'll hopefully help a bit.

I guess what I'm looking for is advice from anyone who's been through something similar, or any advice on what to do in the short and long term. If I can't type, I can't work and would have to retrain for a different job. Both my doctor and the work doctor said the damage done was "career threatening". Should I go back to my doctor or ask HR to send me to pay for physio bills?

Any insight or advice welcome.

Our man in Havana

I would seek the advice of a solicitor tbh. Stay away from HR until you get legal advice.

LegacyUser

My wife suffered with RSI for several months and we had to pay all the therapy bills. We were insured so could claim some money back however.

She had to take upward of 6 months off and completely rest her arm. It affected her hand all the way up her wrist up to her shoulder. The company paid sickleave as per their policy but when that ran out we had to make do with the government allowance and insurance...

You can speak to a solicitor about this but if you go legal the settlement might not be so great and youve a dirty mark on your employment history.

I'd recommend just taking time off work, at least 3 months.. The injury can be healed but it takes a very long time and you cannot do repetitive work during this (no vacuuming, cleaning etc...) You might even find it useful to bandage you hand up, not that this will heal the problem but its to prevent you using it... Try and force yourself to use your other hand.

Rabid50

I am in Australia. The Commonwealth Government Staff get Workers Compenation for RSI and Get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - that is a single cut to the wrist and it gets them off the pension but does not stop the pain from comming back. They get it typing, painting walls and similar and even hanging out the washing. Carpal Tunnel proper is when the fingers curl up and will not straighten and each finger is operated on separately to give use back to them.

I got pain right up my left arm to my neck and then a sharp pain in the palm of my hands (one after the other) followed by intermittent paralysis. The Doctors here do not like the term RSI and will diagnose arthritis with no arthritis pain present. I was 4 years on Unemployment Benefits with this condition. It was cured in 1994 with Orudis SR 200, a capsule predominantly for arthritis but also for other conditiions as directed by the Doctor. They had tried physio and had given up as they had been trying for muscular-skeletal, not tendon. A new physio pushed back on my left hand really hard and really hurting. The tendons jumped and I was treated for tenosenovitis. It has never come back, but I had to find another line of work whilst clocking 70wpm at 99% accuracy. Good Luck.

sawdoubters

get a solicitor

as for pain get hand braces

and type down not up,lower your keyboard,also the mouse,
get them to give you other work


http://www.divinecaroline.com/self/wellness/carpal-tunnel-versus-tendonitis-what%E2%80%99s-difference

Rabid50

If you stop before the sharp pain to the palm of your hand you can get Carpal Tunnel syndrome from a sympathetic Doctor. The operation will get you Off the Government Pension. The pain will return. Resting it is part of the treatment. I had the pain up my arm followed by the intermittent paralysis. If I had been in the Military in Australia I would have gotten a psychiatric discharge as they send them to the psych and not the physician. It was cured in 1994 with Orudis and has not come back. 3 capsules a day for about 3 weeks. Carpal Tunnel syndrome will see the pain return and you are on the merry-go-round again. Cure it!

Mrs OBumble

Thread is 7 years old. I'm assuming the OP is sorted by now.