Tendons are tough fibrous structures connecting muscles to bones throughout the human body. Tendons may be damaged either by sudden trauma, or progressively due to overuse. Tendonitis occurs when the tendon bas become inflamed inflamed for one of these two reasons. The affected joint (most commonly a shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger or knee) will be painful and stiff, with reduced range of mobility and strength. This can detrimentally affect a person's domestic and working life, making basic tasks such as driving or lifting and gripping even small objects difficult or impossible to perform. While tendonitis will normally clear up following a period of rest, and avoidance of the activity that caused the condition originally, in other cases it may worsen over time, and even keyhole surgery (arthroscopy) may be unable to alleviate the effects.
Traumatic tendon injuries which may cause tendonitis include rotator cuff tears to the shoulder, and tears to the Achilles tendon in the heel. Such injuries may leave a residual weakness in the damaged joint, with related conditions, including tendonitis, developing in the future. Tendons may also be damaged by displaced fracture injuries, or broken bones which fail to reset and heal properly. Otherwise tendonitis may simply be the result of years of wear and tear, that has progressively weakened and damaged the tendon, causing inflammation. Essentially the tendons will not have had sufficient time to recover in between periods of prolonged physical strain, causing gradual deterioration and loss of elasticity over time. For this reason, manual workers aged between 40 and 60 are the section of the working population most likely to develop tendonitis.
Tendons in the fingers and wrists may also be damaged by manual work over time, potentially giving rise to a number of specific repetitive strain injury conditions, including trigger finger and carpal tunnel syndrome. Tennis elbow is a similar overuse condition, where tendons in the outer elbow have been damaged and become inflamed, causing pain, stiffness and weakness in the joint. Excessive and repetitive lifting, as well as twisting and gripping actions, may cause a worker to develop tennis elbow. The condition will normally resolve itself within a matter of weeks or months, though in some cases it may last a lot longer (in around 10% of cases longer than a year), and may leave a residual weakness in the elbow joint.
Manual workers, especially those engaged in repetitive production line tasks, such as factory assembly, or manual handling work involving the routine lifting and carrying of heavy and awkward loads, are the most likely to damage tendons in their bodies over time. Cleaning workers and kitchen workers (repetitively chopping vegetables or washing dishes for example) also face a higher than average risk of developing tendonitis or tennis elbow. Where it is possible to prove that the condition is work related, and has either been caused, or made significantly worse, by the negligence of an employer, it is often possible to make a claim for compensation against them. Compensation awards will reflect a range of factors, including the extent of the condition, its effect on a person's life, medical costs and related loss of earnings.
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