If you work with your body—jobs like roofing, landscaping, tree trimming, and warehouse work—pain often feels like it's part of the job.

A stiff back, a sore wrist, or an aching shoulder all may seem normal and easy to shrug off. But here’s the deal:

Letting work-related aches and pains go untreated makes them worse.

That pain is a sign that you're likely injuring yourself on the job.

Manual labor causes two types of injury: sudden injuries that stop you in your tracks, and slow-building injuries that creep up over time.

Both of these types of manual labor injuries require attention and intervention. We treat both of these manual labor injuries—acute and repetitive stress—here at Golden Chiropractic.

Acute injuries (aka Direct Trauma Stress) tend to be obvious.

You generally know when you've got a sudden, intense pain from lifting something incorrectly, or twisting in a funny way.

Examples and causes of direct trauma stress include:

• A roofer misses a step and twists their knee coming down a ladder
• A warehouse worker lifts a pallet awkwardly and feels a sharp pain in their low back
• A tree trimmer gets hit by a falling limb and feels immediate shoulder and neck pain

Common acute injuries include:

• Herniated discs
• Ankle sprains
• Shoulder dislocations
• Spinal misalignments

Repetitive stress (Micro Repetitive Stress) causes injury over time.

Ongoing repetitive movements and equipment vibrations create musculoskeletal problems.

Examples of micro repetitive stress injuries include:

• A landscaper spends hours with a weed trimmer—eventually their wrist aches and fingers go numb 
• A mechanic leans over car hoods all day and starts feeling a deep shoulder and upper back ache
• A janitor mops long hallways daily—after months, their elbow burns every time they twist or lift 

Common repetitive stress injuries include:

• Carpal tunnel
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Frozen shoulder
• Sciatica
• Plantar fasciitis

I’ve seen my share of micro repetitive stress in our office.

I’ve got one patient who works as a contractor. 

Every day, he operates heavy machinery—the kind that vibrates like crazy and keeps him compressed in a seat for hours.

Over time, that constant vibration and pressure left him feeling like a used accordion. When he first came in, he told me he just couldn't shake the stiffness and soreness anymore.

Another patient of mine is an electrician. 

For years, he spent his days reaching overhead, wiring up homes and businesses.

At first, he felt just a little shoulder tightness. Nothing he couldn't power through. But eventually, he started feeling tingling and numbness in his hands by the end of every shift.

It wasn’t one big injury—it was thousands of little stresses adding up over time.

How to tell if you’re experiencing pain from Direct Trauma Stress or Micro Repetitive Stress. 

The symptoms differ for injuries from work accidents versus injuries from repetitive stress.

The pain manifests differently.

With work accidents, you feel sudden, sharp pain. You know exactly when it happened.

Repetitive stress injuries show up as dull, aching pain that builds up over time.

The injuries tend to show up in different places in your body.

Work accidents commonly affect your low back, knees, shoulders, and ankles.

Repetitive stress injuries most often show up in your wrists, elbows, shoulders, low back and feet.

One comes with sudden swelling, the other with inflammation.

With work accidents, you’ll notice immediate swelling at the injury site.

Repetitive stress injuries tend to cause gradual inflammation. Stiffness is more common than swelling with repetitive stress injuries.

They affect your range of motion and mobility differently.

Sudden loss of movement, limping, or guarding/avoiding certain motions are signs of work accidents.

With repetitive stress, you’ll notice progressive stiffness and decreased flexibility over time.

Things that make your pain worse also differ. 

Pain with movement, weight bearing or lifting are more common with acute injuries from accidents. This is a type of pain that tends to ease over time as you heal.

With repetitive stress, your pain worsens with repetitive tasks. You may get slight relief with rest, but the pain does return. 

Don't ignore your pain or feelings of dysfunction.

Ignoring work injuries or repetitive stress injuries can set you up for long-term trouble.

Work accidents shouldn’t be ignored—they need to be examined and treated promptly.

A simple sprain can become chronic instability. A herniated disc from a bad lift could cause long-term pain and weakness.

Repetitive stress injuries, if ignored, only get worse.

Microtraumas from daily strain add up. They can eventually lead to tendon tears, frozen joints, or long-term disability.

Ignoring pain often leads to long-term consequences.

Untreated work accidents can end up as chronic pain, reduced mobility, and maybe even early retirement.

With untreated repetitive stress, daily pain can start to affect your sleep, focus, and productivity. Over time, you can lose strength, endurance, and the ability to keep up with your daily workload.

There are times when it's urgent to seek care for your pain.

There are signs that it’s urgent to seek care. Here’s when you should act quickly:

You’ve had a work accident.

If you're having sharp pain, swelling, trouble bearing weight, or any numbness or tingling, get checked out immediately.

Your symptoms are persistent.

If you’ve been pushing through symptoms that persist for more than two weeks—increasing weakness, numbness, or a drop in your performance—don’t wait. 

Early intervention can save you from chronic pain and more tissue damage down the line.

How do chiropractors diagnose the cause of manual labor pain?

When you come in, we'll talk about what you do all day, what movements trigger pain, and what’s changed in your body.

We may do orthopedic tests to assess your joint stability, range of motion, and nerve tension.

We may also suggest imaging like X-rays or MRIs if we suspect something more serious. 

How do chiropractors treat conditions caused by manual labor?

Treatments vary based on your condition, and what caused it.

For work accidents, we may:

• Perform chiropractic adjustments to realign joints and restore stability
• Perform soft tissue therapy to calm inflammation and loosen up protective muscle tension
• Recommend targeted rehab exercises to rebuild strength and prevent future injury

Timeline: Many patients feel significant relief within 2-4 weeks but continue care to fully stabilize the injury.

For repetitive stress injuries, we may:

• Perform adjustments to improve biomechanics and reduce nerve irritation
• Perform pin-and-stretch and instrument-assisted soft tissue massage to break up scar tissue and adhesions
• Provide ergonomic and movement coaching tailored to your job’s demands

Timeline: Progress often starts within the first few sessions, but full recovery can take 6-12 weeks depending on severity.

How can you prevent manual labor-related injuries?

There are a few things you can do to help yourself avoid injuries at work:

• Stretch daily: Especially after work—target your shoulders, hips, wrists, and back
• Strengthen your stabilizers: Focus on core, glutes, and upper back stability exercises
• Move with awareness: Watch your lifting posture. Switch up repetitive tasks when you can
• Watch for early signs: Get help if you have tingling, numbness, swelling, and any pain that lasts more than a few days 

A little self-care will go a long way—but the best advice I can give? 

To keep yourself working, don’t push through the pain!

Whether you’ve had a sudden accident or are fighting the slow burn of repetitive stress, you don’t have to tough it out. Our experienced chiropractors in Aptos are ready to help you feel better and stay strong.

We can build you an individualized recovery plan to help you move better and work stronger.

Book online—it’s fast, easy, and your future self will thank you. We’ll help make sure your body works for you, not against you.