The injuries we see every harvest
Most harvest injuries land in one of three places: the back, the shoulders and neck, or the wrists and hands, and they trace back to how the work loads those areas.
- Back strains from lifting bins and bags, bending, and twisting
- Shoulder and neck pain from overhead reaching and ladder work
- Wrist, hand, and forearm problems from repetitive picking, cutting, and packing
- Injuries from slips and falls on uneven ground and wet packing-house floors
- Knee and hip pain from long days on ladders and concrete
The work in our orchards, hop yards, and packing houses is hard on the same handful of areas year after year. That is true whether the pain came on in a single bad lift or built up over a long week. We treat back pain from lifting, shoulder pain, and carpal tunnel from repetitive work through the whole season.
Why harvest injuries get ignored until they are worse
Many of these injuries build over days and weeks instead of starting with one clear moment, which makes them easy to work through until they stop you.
There is a paycheck on the line and a season that will not wait, so people push. The problem with pushing is twofold. A soft tissue injury that is worked through can heal with scar tissue that leaves you stiff and sore for good. And the gap between when you got hurt and when you were first seen is the first thing an L&I claim gets questioned on. Getting looked at early is better for your body and better for your claim.
What to do if you are hurt during harvest
To protect both your recovery and your claim, take these steps as soon as you can.
- Report the injury to your employer, even if it feels minor.
- Get evaluated early, ideally within the first few days.
- Tell us it is a work injury when you call, and bring your claim number if you have one.
- We examine you and take digital X-rays on site if the exam calls for it, so imaging happens during your visit instead of across town next week.
- We document your findings, diagnosis, and progress, which is what your claim needs.
If you have not filed a claim yet, come in anyway. Your first visit is covered and we can walk you through filing.
You choose your provider, and a chiropractor can be it
In Washington, injured workers choose their own attending provider, and a chiropractor in the L&I Medical Provider Network can serve in that role.
Most workers do not know this. You are not required to keep seeing whoever your employer sent you to first, and no authorization is needed to move your care to a chiropractor. Dr. Kroner is in the L&I Medical Provider Network, so he can act as your attending provider, manage your treatment, report to your claims manager, and assess your return to work. Under an accepted claim, covered treatment is paid through L&I, not by you. This is Washington L&I workers’ compensation care, and it is a large part of the work injury treatment we provide.
When it is not something we should treat
Not every harvest injury belongs with a chiropractor, and we will tell you straight when yours does not.
Some findings mean you need medical evaluation first: a possible fracture, significant swelling after a fall, an open wound, or numbness and weakness that is getting worse. We examine and image before we treat, and recognizing what is outside our scope is part of doing this right. We also treat with your actual job in mind. A warehouse worker who lifts all day and an office worker with the same diagnosis are not the same problem, because the job is part of the injury.
Hurt on the job this harvest? Call (509) 972-4000 or request an appointment. Your first visit for a work injury is covered, and we will handle the documentation your claim requires.
Common Questions
Is a repetitive picking or packing injury covered by L&I?
It can be. Injuries that build up over time from repetitive work qualify for an L&I claim even without a single injury event. Tell us how the symptoms developed and what your job involves, and we will document it.
Can I switch to your office if my employer already sent me somewhere?
Yes. Washington lets injured workers change attending providers, and no authorization is needed to transfer your care to a chiropractor. Call us and we will explain the steps.
How soon after a harvest injury should I be seen?
As soon as you can, ideally within the first few days. Early care tends to do better, and it documents the link between your work and your injury while that link is clear.
What if I kept working and did not report it right away?
Come in and tell us the real timeline. A delay makes documentation more important, not impossible. We record how the injury developed and when the symptoms started.
Will I be able to keep working while I recover?
Often yes, sometimes with temporary restrictions. Assessing what your job requires and what you can safely do is part of the attending provider’s role, and we document it for your claim.
Reviewed by Dr. Bill Kroner, DC. Kroner Chiropractic, Yakima. Palmer College of Chiropractic, in private practice since 1993, member of the Washington L&I Medical Provider Network.