Prevention and Treatment for Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries, which include sprains, strains, tears, and contusions, are the most common occupational health injuries by a wide margin. These injuries to muscles, ligaments, and tendons constitute 43 percent of all work injuries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).1 In addition to being widespread, soft tissue injuries can also take employees away from their work for long periods of time. Per the BLS, nearly 30 percent of days away from work cases are soft tissue injuries, with an incidence rate of 27.2 cases per 10,000 full time workers.2 Furthermore, the median number of days away from work for soft tissue injury cases was 12 in 2018 (the latest year with BLS-provided data), with many cases requiring physical therapy.
Although widespread and often costly, soft tissue injuries can be prevented and properly treated with the help of an experienced occupational health provider, like Concentra®. On the front end, a Concentra occupational health clinician can provide injury prevention and wellness strategies to help stop soft tissue injuries before they occur. And when injuries do occur, the clinician is able to provide diverse treatment options and physical therapy, ensuring that employees feel comfortable and receive streamlined, effective care.
What are soft tissue injuries?
Soft tissue injuries can come in several forms and result from acute musculoskeletal injuries, repetitive motion-based injuries, over exertion, and poor ergonomics. Injuries to structures such as muscles, tendons and ligaments fall under the umbrella of soft tissues injuries, including the following:3
- Contusions (bruises)
- Sprains
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Stress injuries
- Strains
- Disc injuries
- Hernias
Soft tissue injuries can occur suddenly, such as when a person slips and falls or attempts to pick up a heavy object with incorrect posture. They can also develop over time due to twisting in awkward postures, performing repetitive motions, holding a static posture, working with vibrating tools, or using tools incorrectly.4
These injuries can occur in any industry, but a few fields account for a slim majority of incidences. Retail trade, manufacturing, and health care and social assistance had 50 percent of all cases in the private sector in 2018, with health care and social assistance leading the way.5 Transportation and warehousing led the pack in incidence rate, at 77.1 soft tissue injury cases per 10,000 full time workers. The “information” industry, which includes the publishing, telecom, and data processing sectors, had the highest median days away from work figure, at 33 days. The health care and social assistance industry, despite having the highest number of total incidents, also has the lowest median days away from work, at eight days.5
Injury Prevention
Soft tissue injuries often start as minor aches and pains before building into more complex injuries. Cumulative trauma injuries, such as tennis elbow or tendonitis of the wrist, can add up quickly if not addressed. Injury prevention starts before employees set foot on the warehouse floor or work site. Warm-up and stretching programs designed by an athletic trainer help employees learn the right way to prepare their bodies for physical activity and reduce the risk of injury. These programs prepare the body for work and have been shown to improve balance and enhance muscle coordination.6 More than just some stretches, an athletic trainer-designed warm-up routine can be specifically designed for the work at hand, making sure employees’ bodies are ready for their specific tasks.7
Beyond warm-up and stretching programs, employers can also invest in exercise guidelines, train-the-trainer programs, and ergonomic intervention. These types of soft tissue injury prevention programs can help physically condition employees and properly educate them on risk factors to prevent cumulative trauma and workplace injuries.8 These programs are most effective when a certified athletic trainer or physical therapist can integrate at the worksite, assessing risks and examining the tools employees use and their body mechanics as they work. Ongoing safety and ergonomic programs help to build a culture of safety and can create a work environment in which employees are happier, healthier, and more productive.
Treatment
When it comes to soft tissue injuries, treatment often differs by injury severity. For common soft tissue injuries, such as ankle sprains, most injuries fall into the mild, or grade 1, category. Grade 1 injuries involve slight stretching and some damage to the fibers of the ligament, muscle, or tendon.9 They are painful and require evaluation by a clinician but may not necessitate a visit to a medical clinic. For these types of minor injuries, look for an occupational health provider that offers telemedicine. Concentra Telemed® is available 24/7 in 43 states; it’s used to treat employees with relatively minor work injuries, including:
- Minor strains
- Minor sprains
- Bruises/contusions
- Tendonitis/repetitive-use injuries
- Minor burns
- Contusions
- Minor cuts and scrapes
- Work-related rashes
- Bloodborne pathogen (BBP) exposures
Many soft tissue injuries, including sprains, strains, and contusions are available for injury rechecks on Concentra Telemed, keeping the entire injury process online. Using telemedicine for minor injuries minimizes lost duty time, avoids unnecessary hospital or urgent care visits, and increases overall productivity. Employees get the care they need without the headaches of an outside medical visit.
For more serious soft tissue injuries, including grade 2 and 3 sprains, more severe forms of tendonitis, and major strain injuries, physical therapy may be necessary after initial injury treatment. As an expert occupational health partner, Concentra uses on-site physical therapy and only licensed physical and occupational therapists to provide skilled patient treatment. Our unique early-intervention approach and function-based alternative to the pain scale achieve return to work in significantly fewer visits than the national average.10 And because our therapists work in-house, they can work closely with an employee’s treating physician, ensuring a streamlined recovery plan that yields positive results. Employees aren’t sent from location to location and employers only need to work with Concentra for status updates and reports.
Conclusion
Soft tissue injuries are a leading cause of employee injuries across industries, and, when serious, can lead to long periods of days away from work. With the help of Concentra’s occupational health clinicians, employers can implement prevention efforts that work to improve employee safety and avert cumulative trauma and workplace injuries. And when injuries do occur, Concentra clinicians offer flexible treatment options and top-notch physical therapy services to ensure that employees receive the best care possible. Contact a Concentra representative to get started today.
NOTES
- “Safety Leadership: Reducing exposure to help prevent soft-tissue injuries: The leader’s role,” by Bruce Madsen and Grace Thai. Safety and Health Magazine, April 24, 2022.
- “Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 1, 2020.
- “Soft Tissue Injuries,” Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.
- “How to Prevent Soft Tissue Injury,” Indiana Constructors Inc., n.d.
- “Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 1, 2020.
- “Warm Up to a Safer Workplace,” Flagger Force, n.d.
- “Injury Prevention and Wellness,” Concentra, n.d.
- “Ergonomics,” OSHA, n.d.
- “Ankle Sprain,” University of Connecticut Health, n.d.
- “Physical Therapy,” Concentra, n.d.
