Are You Suffering From RSI?

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) might include localised injuries like tennis elbow and carpal tunnel. But RSI can also describe pain syndromes that are more widespread like chronic pain syndrome or cervicobrachial pain syndrome which can be simply described as neck pain that extends through the shoulder and down into the arm.

We have a range of effective treatments for repetitive injuries but in many cases, our intervention wouldn’t be required if people were more aware of the symptoms and causes. By knowing these things, it’s possible to make the changes required to minimise the pain and discomfort associated with RSI, and possibly eliminate that pain altogether. So, to help you stay pain-free here are a few symptoms of Repetitive Strain Injuries to be mindful of:

• Burning, aching or shooting pain.
• Tremors, clumsiness and numbness.
• Fatigue or a lack of strength.
• Weakness in your hands or forearms that make it difficult to perform even simple tasks.
• Difficulty with everyday activities, e.g. opening doors, chopping vegetables, turning on a tap.
• Chronically cold hands, particularly the fingertips.

As you will have observed, the symptoms of RSI are not always painful. Things like fatigue and cold hands can also be tell-tale signs. But in most cases, the first indicators are soreness, tingling or discomfort in the neck, arms, wrists, fingers or shoulders. They might occur when you carry out a specific activity or do a repetitive task. The symptoms could disappear within an hour or two of stopping the activity or take as long as a couple of days. However, without making changes to the way you do things, minor repetitive injuries can turn into chronic conditions that bring ongoing pain. That’s why it’s important to know some of the more common causes:

• Repeated arm and hand use for prolonged periods
• Working with equipment that doesn’t fit your body
• Working too fast
• Not enough recovery breaks.
• Holding your muscles in the same position for a long time
• Lack of training in the safest way to carry out a task
• Lack of variety in the type of work you do
• Working in cold conditions

Symptoms and causes are more complex than you might think. However, if you recognise the physical signs of repetitive injuries and what may be causing them, you can make changes that will reduce pain and the chances of RSI becoming a life-long issue. Of course, if you are suffering discomfort, contact us. We can treat the pain caused by repetitive injuries and give you advice to keep those injuries from reoccurring.