Repetitive Strain Injury - Care Guide

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is the term most commonly used to group together a variety of conditions associated with repeated activities. It covers a wide range of injuries to muscles, tendons and nerves.  Usually hands, wrists, elbows or shoulders are affected.  Knees and feet can also suffer, especially if a job involves a lot of kneeling or operating foot pedals on equipment. Repetitive Strain Injury is the more commonly known term for a set of disorders called Work Related Upper Limb Disorders or WRULDS.

It is a serious disease that must be stopped at an early stage or permanent disability could be caused.  There are many different names for these injuries, including:

• Tenosynovitis
• Carpel tunnel syndrome
• Tendinitis
• Dupuytren’s contracture
• Epicondylitis or ‘tennis elbow’
• Bursitis
• ‘Housemaid’s knee’ or ‘beat conditions’
• Overuse injury

Repetitive Strain Injury Causes

Repetitive Strain Injury is caused, or made worse, by work demanding awkward or repeated movements, especially if you need to apply pressure as well.  For example, wringing out clothes means twisting your wrists and arms while gripping the cloth tightly. If these movements are repeated frequently, your hands and wrists will be strained and start to feel painful or numb.

Repetitive Strain Injury Symptoms

There are many symptoms and signs to watch for that are early indicators of Repetitive Strain Injury. Symptoms include:

• Tingling, coldness, or numbness of the joints.
• Clumsiness and loss of strength and coordination.
• Pain that prevents you from getting to sleep, or that wakes you up at night
• Tightness, stiffness, discomfort, and soreness in the hands, forearms, elbows, shoulders, neck, and back

Common Repetitive Strain Injury Ailments

• Bursitis - Bursitis is the inflammation of the sacs (bursas) in the joints that protect the muscles and tendons as they move across the bones in the knee, wrist, elbow, and shoulder.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - CTS is a swelling of the linings surrounding the wrist.
  This leads to a compression of the nerve that provides the wrist with the majority of its feeling. The end result is sharp needle-like pain in the wrist and hands. This is common for people who work extensively with computers.
• Tennis Elbow - This is an inflammation of the tendons that attach the muscles of the forearm to the elbow.
• Tendinitis - Like Tennis Elbow, tendinitis is an inflammation of a tendon most frequently occurring in the shoulder, elbow, forearm, or wrist.
• Trigger Finger - This is a swelling of the sheath surrounding the tendon in the finger or thumb. The effect can be a finger locked in a bent position or pain, cracking, or popping when the fingers are bent.

Repetitive Strain Injury Treatments

Many different therapies are available for the treatment of repetitive strain injuries. Through relaxation and simple exercise, it is possible to treat some repetitive strain injury conditions at home.

Work-related repetitive motion is literally crippling the nation, especially in the office environment, where millions of people spend all day at computer keyboards. Debilitating pain in the neck, back, elbows, hips, knees, and feet from repetitive tasks in the industrial world threaten the health and income of millions more. Unfortunately, because the nature of pain is so poorly understood in the healthcare community, misdiagnosis is extremely common. Overused labels such as bursitis, tendinitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome are too readily applied.

Many people find that activities such as walking and swimming help relieve their RSI symptoms. Exercise is beneficial in many areas of life and is also a great asset in preventing and treating RSI. The following four treatments remain the key to beginning the healing process:

• Rest: Take time away from whatever it is that created the RSI. When at home, do what you can to avoid using the injured area.
• Ice: Ice constricts the blood vessels in the area reducing inflammation and swelling. If you don't have an ice pack, a bag of frozen peas can do the trick. Ice the area several times daily, or as recommended by your doctor.
• Compression: Using an elastic bandage to compress the affected area will work with the ice to reduce swelling. A bandage should be snug, but never tight, your physician or nurse can show you the proper way to bandage your injury.
• Elevation: Elevating the injured area above the heart helps to reduce swelling by reducing blood flow to the area.

In many cases, RSI injuries are treated by a series of Adverse Neural Dynamics Stretches, designed to exercise the nerves, and remove and relieve the tethered points. A physical therapist will show you how to do these exercises and should also teach you exercises to mobilize your back and neck. Many RSI sufferers have problems in these areas without realizing it, causing pain in the hands and arms.

Self help: Often, small changes to your lifestyle and working environment can help to relieve symptoms of RSI. Think about the activity that is causing your RSI. What is it, when do you do it and how long you do it for? Could you spend less time doing the activity or take more regular breaks so you are doing it for shorter periods of time?

• Several short breaks are better than a few long ones. Just let your arms relax in your lap or at your side for a few minutes. Every half-hour find an excuse to get up from your desk to loosen your neck and shoulder muscles.
• Gentle exercise such as swimming, walking and stretching and massage are good to maintain muscular condition which probably helps avoid tiredness.
• Massage is relaxing and may help to stretch muscles but also risks aggravating the injury.
• Stretching prior to every activity, whether it is work or play, is always recommended.
• Put ice or heat packs on affected areas. One reduces swelling, the other stimulates blood flow.
• Hot baths and saunas also stimulate blood flow which can aid recovery.
• You can apply a tubular bandage which may help, possibly by limiting the amount you can use your muscles.
• Yoga, meditation and other body-awareness exercises such as the Alexander Technique can be beneficial for the back, neck and shoulders.

Summary

If you have, or are experiencing any of the Repetitive Strain Injury symptoms, go to your doctor or health provider. Do not wait! A combination of early diagnosis and a few changes can reduce the damage to your body, minimize pain, and maximize the enjoyment you get from life.