Fibromyalgia is said to affect up to 30 million Americans across all age groups. It is usually experienced for the most part by more women than men, but anyone can become susceptible under the right conditions. There is currently no known cure for fibromyalgia, meaning that a person may have to contend with this condition for the rest of their life.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Fibromyalgia is typically characterized by gnawing, sharp shooting pains that are common in certain parts of the body such as the lower back, shoulder area, face, side, knees, feet and a host of other locations. People diagnosed with fibromyalgia after a work injury in Northwest Indiana complain of constant and unrelenting pain that doesn’t seem to get any better. This pain is oftentimes accompanied by fatigue and depression, both of which can make it almost impossible for a person to carry out work activities in the same capacity before their diagnosis.
Work Environment Can Trigger Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is thought of as “an invisible disease”. This is because it doesn’t have any outward physical signs, making it hard for employers or insurance adjusters in Indiana personal injury cases to believe that a person is really sick. However, it is important to note that this condition is aggravated or even triggered in work environments where repetitive motion is common, as well as areas where one has to work in a very cold or loud environment. After some time, the body’s levels of a chemical known as serotonin dip to dangerously low levels, lowering a person’s pain perception threshold, prompting the beginnings of fibromyalgia.
Here are some of the most common professions that are afflicted with fibromyalgia:
- Individuals in the teaching profession
- People working in meat packing or industrial occupations
- Road maintenance crew
- Hospital employees
- Truck drivers
- Those working in retail
- Salespeople
In order for your Northwest Indiana claim to be valid, we as your Indiana workers’ compensation law firm must prove that your illness happened and was due to your employment. In addition, we must show, using concrete evidence, that certain factors and condition at your place of work aggravated or triggered your fibromyalgia.
Compensation for Fibromyalgia
When it comes to compensation, you can expect to recover monies that will go a long way in providing you with long-term medical treatment, lost wages and even disability if you won’t be able to resume working due to your fibromyalgia progressing to an advanced level.