Repetitive Stress & Cervical Radiculopathy

Shooting upper back or neck nerve pain and appendage numbness may be a symptom of cervical radiculopathy. This type of nerve damage can occur due to work-related repetitive heavy lifting, keyboarding, or other types of repetitive movements on the job, or the sudden impact of a car crash.

When nerve function along the upper seven vertebra in the upper spine and neck are injured to the point of severe pain, numbness, muscle weakness, or other problems, a person may be experiencing cervical radiculopathy. If you are dealing with this type of injury that has happened due to repetitive motion on the job, workers’ compensation may pay for your medical treatment and your lost wages for the time that you could not work due to the injury.

Cervical radiculopathy means that there is an impingement or compression of a person’s nerve or nerves in the neck and upper back area. Sometimes an injury like this happens when the cushiony disk that separates each person’s vertebrae is ruptured or in some other way has been compromised as a protector. Nerve roots may then be compressed, causing damage.

A hallmark of cervical radiculopathy is pain, sometimes shooting or burning that can spread throughout the afflicted area. Other signs of cervical radiculopathy may or may not include a feeling of numbness or tingling in hands or fingers, a sensation of hot or cold in the afflicted part of the body, weak muscles, including the neck, shoulders, upper back and chest, and arms, and problems with coordination.
The reason for the numbness of lack of sensation is that when the nerve is pinched, it cannot work effectively and the arms or shoulders that are in the area will then have less feeling.

Treatment for Cervical Radiculopathy Pain

There are many ways to treat this type of nerve damage pain. These include:

  • Physical therapy
  • Steroid injection
  • Cervical fusion

Call 800-404-5299 or 856-234-2233 for a Free Consultation with a Workers Compensation and Personal Injury Attorney – New Jersey

If you have lost time from work due to a job-related repetitive stress injury or cervical radiculopathy, you have a right to workers’ compensation. Learn more about your rights and issues of liability by speaking with a workers’ compensation and personal injury lawyer at Taylor & Boguski in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. We offer a free, private consultation where you can get your questions answered and your case will be evaluated.

Seeking Worker’s Compensation for an Occupational Disease

Under the laws of the state of New Jersey, if you are injured on the job, and you are not an exempt employee, you must seek financial recovery for any losses through the state’s workers’ compensation system. An injury need not, however, be the result of a single traumatic event, such as a fall or the malfunction of machinery. You can seek compensation for any illness that arises because of your job or occupation. This blog post addresses the subject of occupational illness, identifying those circumstances where you have a right to file a workers’ compensation claim for a disease.

In occupational disease claims, it is typical that individuals working in the same area, exposed to the same conditions, will show symptoms of the same illness or disease. Under the laws of most states, there is a presumption that a disease is caused by conditions at work, and the burden of proof is on the employer to show otherwise.

Types of Occupational Disease Claims

The most common types of occupational diseases leading to workers’ compensation claims are lung and skin related conditions. Lung disease may result from exposure to particles in the air, whether inside or outside. In many occupations, where workers have been exposed to asbestos, workers’ compensation claims for asbestosis have been frequent. Black lung, silicosis and occupational asthma claims are also common in industrial workers.

Many modern work sites involve the use of chemicals and chemical compounds. Accordingly, certain occupations, such as hairdressing, golf course maintenance, printing and motor vehicle repair, involve regular concerns about skin or other diseases.

Other diseases that can be covered under state workers’ compensation laws include:

  • HIV or AIDS among medical workers exposed to the virus
  • Allergic reactions
  • Heart conditions or heart attacks resulting from stress or other conditions

With an occupational disease, if you had a condition prior to your employment that is aggravated by the work you do, you will typically be unable to recover workers’ compensation. For example, if you had a skin condition when you started your employment, and the work you are currently doing is aggravating that condition, you will not be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits if you can’t work.

Contact the Law Office of Taylor & Boguski

To schedule a free initial consultation with experienced New Jersey family law attorneys, contact Taylor & Boguski by e-mail. To learn more about our practice, visit our practice area overview page.