Either you or a co-worker you know has likely injured themselves on the job before. Many of these injuries were probably minor and didn’t require taking time off work. However, there is also a possibility that you or your co-worker developed a more severe injury that led to your taking some time off.
This second scenario is much more likely than many of us would like to believe. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nearly 87 out of every 10,000 full-time private sector workers develop an injury or illness that leads to at least one missed workday. Don’t want to fall into this category? Physical therapists can help you learn about the most common types of workplace injuries.
The top three most common types of workplace injuries
Learning about the most common types of workplace injuries can benefit you in several ways. It can help you avoid them. It can help you, too, if you develop one of these injuries. Why? Having this knowledge can help you be a more active partner in your injury recovery. As a result, you may be able to get back to work faster. Some of the most common types of workplace injuries include:
- Upper extremity injuries — Your upper extremities include your upper arm, forearm and hand. These areas are the most commonly reported sites of a work injury, and upper extremity injuries make up more than 32% of all reported work injuries. Tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome are examples of upper extremity work injuries.
- Lower extremity injuries — Your legs from the hips to the toes are also known as your lower extremities. Lower extremity injuries are the second-largest reported work injury category according to the National Safety Council. As such, they represent more than 24% of all reported work injuries. Common lower extremity injuries that workers develop include ankle sprains and knee ligament injuries.
- Trunk injuries — You do have a trunk, but that doesn’t make you an elephant. Your trunk is what medical professionals call the area of the body that runs from the shoulders to just above the hips. You may also hear this area called the torso. No matter what you call it, this area is the third-most common site of work injuries. The National Safety Council reveals that about 21% of work injuries occur in the torso area. For instance, lower back injuries and ab muscle strains fall into this injury category.
Excel PT offers treatment for many of the most common workplace injuries
Have you recently developed one of these types of work injuries? If you said yes, Excel Sports & Physical Therapy has clinics that can help you treat your injury. You can come into one of our clinics for a free screening. This will allow our physical therapists to determine what injury you have and how it is affecting you. Then, they will put together a physical therapy plan that’s designed to fit your condition, symptoms and recovery goals.
Contact our team today for more information about the help we can offer for work injuries or to schedule your initial work injury treatment appointment.
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