Chronic conditions can be filed as worker's comp claims.  Worker's comp claims are not limited to a specific event linked to a specific injury (like cutting your hand with a cutting blade).  Many employees have been successful over the years with repetitive stress injuries.  However, the TWCC will eventually be the one to decide if your injury qualifies as a valid claim.  If your doctor is saying that it's work related and you've never had an issue before, you have a fairly good shot at qualifying.  You may be required to submit to a second opinion, though, if your employer disagrees with your doctor's assessment.  The bottom line is that if you don't file the claim, you'll never really know if they will accept the claim.  You may also want to visit with a worker's comp attorney or personal injury attorney before or right after you file the claim if you have a sense that your employer is going to give you a hard time.  Comp claims cost employers money-- either in higher premiums or loss of productivity.  Even though they are not supposed to retaliate for the filing of a claim, many frustrated supervisors tend to do so.  An attorney can make sure that your comp application is processed correctly and that your employer follows the worker's comp rules.