As a worker, you face many potential hazards every day at the job. Some jobs have bigger or more obvious risks than others. But no job is completely risk-free. Even a desk worker has the potential to face injury on the job.

Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) are one of the biggest examples of this. After all, almost every job involves repetitive motion to some extent.

Who suffers from RSIs?

Healthline discusses the potential impact of repetitive strain injuries. These injuries can happen any time you do the same motion over and over again over a period of hours, days, weeks and months. Some examples of jobs that involve repetitive motion include:

• Cashiers
• Bank tellers
• Desk workers
• Mechanics
• Assembly line workers
• Medics
• Artists
• Teachers

In other words, anyone who does the same motion repeatedly over the course of the work day is at risk for an RSI.

Why are they such a big deal?

RSIs are a serious issue, too. They impact your life in big ways. The first main hurdle is that it is impossible to just “get over” an RSI or power your way through it. RSIs require resting the affected limb. Unfortunately, many workers do not have the time to do this, as they must continue their job that requires use of said injured area.

If you keep working through the injury, it will steadily worsen. It may even get to the point that you can no longer just rest to heal it. Instead, it may require some form of surgery. This is common with carpal tunnel syndrome, a form of RSI.

Many workers in your position seek compensation for their RSI. This allows you to focus on healing while taking the appropriate time off work.