Muscle / Soft Tissue Injury

Muscle and soft tissue injuries are common work related injuries; due to this many people may be in the position to place a compensation claim against their employers. These injuries are ones which affect the joints and muscles of the limbs within the body. Soft tissue injuries include sprains, strains and dislocations. Such injuries at work can occur due to a trip, slip or fall or for a variety of other reasons. An employer is responsible for providing a safe working environment; evidence of a failure to fulfil this duty of care is likely to provide a case for a successful claim.
Treatment for soft injuries varies upon the seriousness of the case. For example an injury which is only minor is likely to be treated with an ice pack to reduce the swelling and relieve pain. This method may have to be repeated several times in order to reduce the swelling properly, the injury is also likely to be rein in colour and may lose the sense of feeling for a small duration of time.
Sprains are muscle or soft tissue injuries occur due to overstretching a joint, this usually therefore partially pulls a joint. Other damage may be cased to tendons and blood vessels if a sprain occurs. The symptoms of a sprain include pain within joints, loss of power, and loss of ability to hold the body weight, bruising, swelling and the injury becoming tender. Treatment for sprains varies on the seriousness; slight injuries may require just an ice pack whereas serious injuries may require a plaster cast.
Attempting to identify whether a muscle injury has occurred is often difficult, although there are some symptoms. These include sudden pain; a crack may be heard as bones are moved within the body, tenderness and discomfort when bearing weight, depending on the location of the injury.
Dislocations are also considered to be muscle injuries; this is where the bone is displaced from the joint. This is a frequent injury for some people which leads many people to believe that this is not a serious injury, although failure to recover from a dislocated joint can lead to serious injuries later on in life. To recover from a dislocation the best form of treatement is to rest, apply ice, and elevate the leg and also to seek medical advice to get a clear portrayal of the seriousness.
As these injuries are often frequently contracted within the work place there is always the potential for compensation claims to be made. Although in order for an employer to be made to pay compensation in must be considered that satisfactory evidence must be provided proving the employer is responsible. Medical advice must also have been gained in order to prove that an injury has been contracted and also the seriousness of the injury.
Anybody wishing to make a claim is advised to firstly seek medical advice to see whether an injury has been sustained, after this a law specialist should be contacted in order to pursue a claim.