Arm Pain without Physical Findings: Medicine Vs the Law?

Abstract

Arm pain without physical findings occurring in association with light repetitive work has been with us from the time man developed factories but has become controversial since a number of reported cases in Australia in 1983. It remains a highly contentious and medically confused area. Claims for compensation for the condition against employers have been firmly rejected by courts in Australia and the USA, but large awards continue to be made in UK courts. The reason for this difference lies in recent changes in British Law and court procedure and British courts now seem to recognize this nebulous clinical condition as representing a compensable injury. In this situation, therefore, physicians must be meticulous in their examinations and record keeping. In addition, they must only use specific diagnoses when irrefutable clinical signs or confirmatory special investigation results are present and must be guarded in loose talk or discussion about “causation”.