Your body’s muscular system allows you to perform countless actions.
Lifting. Carrying. Pushing. Pulling. Reaching. Handling. Squatting. Bending. Running. Walking. Sitting. Standing. None of these movements is possible without using your muscles.
And because muscles are so important to performing your job, work-related musculoskeletal disorders are some of the most common injuries in Virginia workplaces.
How common are work-related muscular injuries, such as strains and tears? Very. Muscle injuries from workplace trauma are one of the leading causes of disability and lost time from work. And they can lead to more permanent conditions such as arthritis and degenerative disc disease, which often require medical procedures such as lumbar spinal fusion surgery.
The purpose of this article is to help those of you who tore or pulled a muscle on the job get wage loss benefits, lifetime medical treatment, and a workers compensation muscle injury settlement.
If you have any questions about the claims process, or are looking for one of the best work injury lawyers in the state to represent you against the employer and its insurance carrier, call me for a free consultation: 804-251-1620 or 757-810-5614. I help injured employees in Richmond, Charlottesville, Fairfax, Manassas, Roanoke, Fredericksburg, Newport News, Williamsburg, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach win at hearing and negotiate Virginia workers comp settlements.
Muscles are a form of soft tissue. This is why muscle injuries are often called soft tissue injuries in workers comp and car accident claims.
Your body has three types of muscles: skeletal muscles; cardiac muscles; and, smooth muscles.
This article focuses on injuries to skeletal muscles, many of which join to bone and help you move.
Skeletal muscles are also called striated muscle, because they have stripes and bands when viewed by microscope. Or voluntary muscles, because you have control over their actions.
A muscle is surrounded by an outer sheath. This sheath allows the muscle to move over surrounding tissues when it contracts.
Inside the outer sheath of the muscles are bundles of fibers called fascicles, which are made up of myofibrils. The myofibrils consist of units called sarcomeres, which are responsible for muscle contraction.
Inside the sarcomeres are muscles proteins called myosins. When the myosin relax, the sarcomeres stop contracting and lengthen to their original position. This is known as muscle relaxation.
It is muscle contraction and relaxation that allows you to perform your job, participate in recreational activities such as weight lifting or running, or do any activities of daily living.
Your muscles can only contract and shorten to pull. They cannot push.
This is why muscles are arranged in pairs that act in opposition to each other. One muscle’s movement can be reversed by the opposing muscle.
If you have a muscle imbalance where one muscle is stronger than its partner muscle, then you may be at greater risk for a pulled or torn muscle on the job.
There are approximately 640 skeletal muscles in your body, making up just under half of your body weight.
An injury to any one of the muscles listed below may result in time missed from work and the need for medical attention.
Neck Muscles
The neck is the part of your body that separates your head from your torso. It holds many blood vessels and nerves that are important to functioning.
Your neck, also called the cervical spine, rotates, extends, flexes, and bends. And it has many muscles that help with these movements.
The sternocleidomastoid muscle bends the neck to the side and rotate it. Along with other muscles it flexes the neck and raises the sternum to help you breathe.
The scalene muscles, which are located at the back and sides of your neck, also help with rotating as well as bending the neck.
The splenius capitis and splenius cervicis are located in the back of the neck. They help rotate your head.
The erector spinae muscles (iliocostalis, longissimus, and spinalis) run the length of your back. They help with many functions, including bending the neck.
Finally, the longus colli and longus capitis muscles, which are found in the front of your neck, help with flexion and extension.
Work-related injuries to the neck muscles are often caused by overexertion, slip and fall accidents, and on-the-job auto accidents.
If you hurt your neck on the job, read my article “Workers Compensation Settlements for Neck Injuries.”
Torso Muscles (Back, Chest, Abdomen, and Pelvis)
The torso is the area of your body that includes the back, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.
Work-related torso injuries are common and often involve pulled muscles. Indeed, work-related back injuries are the basis of a significant percentage of workers comp claims.
I have seen injuries to torso muscles from common job activities, such as lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling. And from less common (but still too frequent) work accidents such as forklift accidents and crane accidents.
Your torso muscles help move the neck and shoulders. They also protect you from spinal cord injury.
Commonly injured torso muscles include:
Thigh Muscles (Hamstrings, Quadriceps, and Adductors)
The thigh is the area between your hip and knee. It is considered part of the leg.
Your thigh is divided into three compartments: anterior; medial; and, posterior.
The hamstring muscles – biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus – are found in the posterior compartment. Your hamstrings are susceptible to injury. And can take a long time to heal.
There are five muscles in the anterior compartment of your thigh. These are the quadriceps muscles – rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis – and the sartorius.
Several muscles are found in the medial compartment of the thigh as well. These include the adductor brevis, adductor longus, gracilis, and pectineus.
The muscles in your thigh are the largest muscles in your body. An injury to your thigh muscles may result in extensive disability, especially if you have a job that requires lifting heavy weights, running, or climbing.
Shoulder, Arm, Hand, and Finger Muscles
Work-related arm and shoulder injuries are common, especially in occupations such as nursing, construction, and truck driving.
Arm, shoulder, hand, and finger muscles include:
For more information on your specific upper limb injury, read my articles on workers compensation settlements for torn rotator cuffs and job-related hand injury cases.
When evaluating a client’s workers comp claim based on a muscle injury, I try to determine whether the muscle injury is acute or chronic.
An acute muscle injury is the result of a specific traumatic event. For example, a work-related car crash causing whiplash, slip and fall, or fall from a ladder or roof may result in an acute muscle injury.
You are eligible for workers comp if you suffer an acute muscle injury because you can usually identify a specific, sudden event that caused your injury.
An overuse muscle injury is a chronic injury that develops over a longer period – hours, days, or even months. This type of injury results from repetitive motion that causes cumulative micro-trauma to the muscle.
You will have difficulty getting workers compensation benefits if you suffered an overuse muscle injury and cannot identify a specific event at work where you felt sudden pain. Virginia workers comp law does not cover repetitive motion or cumulative trauma injuries.
A muscle strain, also called a “pulled muscle,” is the stretching or tearing of muscle fibers.
Many muscle strains happen for one of two reasons: either you stretch the muscle too far or you force it to contract too quickly and strongly.
The diagnosis of a muscle injury is usually based on patient history and a physical exam.
This is why it is important that you report your workplace accident to the employer, choose a physician from the offered panel, and seek medical treatment quickly.
Make sure you tell your doctor how you were hurt, where you have pain, and what activities or movements hurt you. And if you have any swelling or bruising, take pictures. This can help you prove that you suffered a compensable injury under the Workers Compensation Act.
When diagnosing your work-related muscle strain and determining the appropriate medical treatment, your doctor will classify the muscle strain into one of three grades:
Your doctor may also order an X-ray to rule out a bone fracture. Or an MRI if there is pooling of blood, also called a hematoma, because of a torn muscle.
If you review your medical records after suffering a muscle injury, then you may see the term “muscle sprain” or “lumbosacral sprain” used instead of muscle strain. The words strain and sprain are often used interchangeably when describing a muscle injury.
But this is incorrect medically.
A muscle strain is an injury that affects your muscles or tendons.
A sprain, on the other hand, is an injury to a ligament. Ligaments are bands of cartilage that attach bone to bone.
A muscle contusion, also called a muscle bruise, is another common work-related injury.
Most muscle contusions are minor and heal within a few days.
But others cause deep tissue damage that may result in complications keeping you out of work for weeks or even months.
We are all at risk of suffering a work-related musculoskeletal injury, no matter our occupation or industry. But there are certain workplaces that expose employees to a greater risk of muscle injury.
Below are some job-related factors that put you at greater risk for a muscle injury:
Other factors that put you at greater risk for a job-related muscle strain include:
Most work-related muscle injuries are partial thickness tears, meaning Grade 1 or 2 strains. These are treated with rest, ice, compression, elevation, and sometimes pain medication.
Your physician may also prescribe physical therapy.
When you are pain free and have full strength and range of motion, your doctor will release you to full duty. Your doctor may release you to light duty while you are recovering.
Complete muscle tears resulting in significant functional impairment may require surgery or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
Platelet-rich plasma therapy involves drawing your blood, spinning it in a centrifuge to separate and concentrate the blood platelets, then injecting the platelets into the injury site. The hope is that the platelets will stimulate healing and regenerate the muscle, while limiting the amount of scar tissue you have. The less scar tissue, the better your chance of recovering normal range of motion.
Direct proof of muscle injuries is difficult to get. And because of this, the workers comp insurer and its doctor may argue that you are exaggerating the extent of your injury and disability.
Much of this is out of your control, but you can improve your likelihood of receiving all the workers comp benefits you deserve by documenting your injury and symptoms.
This means:
You can also increase the value of your workers comp muscle strain case by:
Muscle injuries are common. And because of this, they are often considered “minor” injuries by employers and workers compensation insurance carriers.
But muscles strains and contusions are serious injuries that can affect your ability to earn a living, causing financial stress for you and your family.
If you suffered a muscle injury on the job, call me for help with your workers comp: 804-251-1620 or 757-810-5614. I represent injured employees around the state. And am ready to help you.