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Repetitive strain injuries can occur from any repetitive or awkward movement, damaging nerves, muscles, or tendons. Symptoms include numbness, pain, and loss of coordination. Prevention is key, but treatment options include rest, exercises, and surgery.
A repetitive strain injury occurs when a person uses the same part of their body to perform a task over and over again. Carpal tunnel syndrome is commonly considered when considering repetitive strain injuries. Someone can also injure their neck or back from repeatedly sitting incorrectly or strain their eyes from staring at a monitor or reading fine print all day. Repetitive strain injuries can damage nerves, muscles, or tendons. A prolonged injury can cause a person to lose control of parts of their body.
While using a computer mouse or keyboard is often considered to be the primary culprit of a repetitive strain injury, any awkward or repetitive movement can lead to injury. For example, bakers are at risk of carpal tunnel syndrome if they regularly knead bread dough. A pianist or guitarist can suffer a repetitive strain injury from repeatedly strumming guitar strings or pressing piano keys. Women are more likely than men to develop certain repetitive strain injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome.
Common symptoms of a repetitive strain injury include numbness in the hands or arms, burning or extreme constant pain in the affected area, and loss of coordination. Some people may find that they have become more clumsy, drop things more easily, or simply cannot get a good grip on objects. One type of repetitive strain injury, trigger finger, causes a person’s fingers to stiffen and get stuck in a bent position.
If a strain injury is allowed to progress without treatment, a person may lose the ability to function normally. Depending on how it affects his ability to work, he may have to resign his job and may have difficulty finding a new one. Everyday tasks, like opening a jar or turning a knob, can become difficult or impossible to perform.
One of the best ways to treat any type of repetitive strain injury is to prevent it. Specially designed computer keyboards can relieve pressure on the median nerve and reduce the chance of carpal tunnel syndrome. Using a mixer to knead bread dough can reduce the strain on your wrists. Sitting properly in a chair and avoiding awkward postures can prevent neck and back strain. Increasing the text size on a computer screen or reading a large-print book can reduce eye strain.
Other treatments for stress injuries include resting the affected area for a period of time or doing exercises to strengthen the muscles. Some people may need to wear a wrist splint or back brace. Severe cases may require surgical treatment to fix the problem.
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