Workplace Injuries and Orthopedic Care: Getting Back on Your Feet

Getting injured happens to everyone at some point, but whether it's during intense physical activity, around the house, or at work, some injuries become more common than others. When it comes to work, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that over 150 million people between 2021 and 2022 have suffered injuries that have led to physical problems bad enough to cause time away from their jobs.

Several different workplace events can lead to bodily harm, and the damage ranges from mild to severe. Times are hard enough without worrying about injuries, so to help you understand how we can get you back on your feet, let’s provide the facts about these incidents and explain our orthopedic services.

Employees in the Fort Worth, Texas, area who need help recovering from workplace injuries can visit Southwest Orthopedic Associates, where Dr. Joseph Daniels and his experienced staff can assist them.

Workplace incidents that lead to injury

The aforementioned data from BLS indicates the following incidents that lead to bodily harm:

• Overexertion and bodily reaction: repetitive motion non-impact (pushing, lifting, throwing) injuries 

• Contact with objects and equipment: struck, caught, or squeezed on objects or equipment

• Falls, slips, and trips: losing balance and hitting the ground or objects on it

• Exposure to harmful substances or environment: radiation, electricity, temperature extremes, or air and water pressure changes 

• COVID-19: still a leading cause of days away from work

Common injuries

There are many types of injury these accidents can lead to, such as:

Skeletal damage

This can come in the form of bone damage, such as bending, twisting, or compressing bones (acute fractures), separating bone segments (displaced fractures), or when damage is bad enough that the bone pushes into itself (comminuted or impacted fractures). Other skeletal injuries include stress and compound fractures, dislocations, and bone contusions.

Musculoskeletal tissue damage

Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage are the tissue in joints that keep bones stable and moving properly. Strains, sprains, tears, and ruptures in these areas can lead to pain, swelling, and limited or no mobility in the affected area.

Common signs of injuries include abrasions, bleeding, burns, swelling, lacerations, bone deformity, and discoloration.

The road to recovery

To get you through the pain and other issues with these injuries, we offer numerous solutions for helping you heal, like: 

• Sports medicine treatments: designed to help bones, muscles, and joints avoid wear and tear

• Joint replacement: diseased and damaged joints are replaced and repaired

• Urgent care: when the need for help is immediate, and the injuries are severe

• Regenerative care: the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cells to promote healing

• Physical therapy: many forms of stretches and exercise to restore mobility, stability, and overall function of joints

Workplace injuries happen all too often. If you’re hurt, contact Dr. Daniels and Southwest Orthopedic Associates today to heal and get back to work.