Repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) are caused by repeating routine physical activities, such as keyboarding or playing sports. Proper posture, rest breaks, and building strength can help prevent RSIs. Symptoms include pain, tenderness, tingling, weakness, and bruising. Treatment may include rest, physical therapy, surgery, and learning new methods of movement.
A repetitive strain injury (RSI) is an injury caused by repeating routine physical activities. Also known as repetitive stress injuries, RSIs were primarily associated with sports activities until the late 20th century, when computers became standard in the workplace and physicians noted a large increase in non-sports related RSIs. The diagnosis of RSI is controversial in some regions, as this condition is sometimes poorly defined and people claiming to have strain injuries are sometimes accused of malingering.
The cause of an RSI is thought to be repetitive movement or regular use of a tool within a very limited range of motion. Keyboarding is a classic example of an activity that can lead to strain, as are activities like tennis, running machine equipment on an assembly line, and golf. The incidence of such injuries can be avoided by using proper posture at work or play, taking regular rest breaks, building strength, and avoiding overuse, among other things.
The term “RSI” is often used to refer to an entire family of physical problems also known as overuse syndromes or cumulative trauma disorders, including very clearly defined conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. When a patient presents to a doctor’s office seeking medical attention for pain and soreness that cannot be related to a specific medical problem but is believed to be associated with repetitive activity, the doctor may determine that the patient has RSI even if none diagnostic test can be obtained.
Symptoms of an RSI include pain, tenderness, tingling, tightness, weakness and bruising around the area of the body used for repetitive activity. Computer users, for example, often experience these symptoms in their hands and arms. Medical imaging studies may reveal nothing functionally wrong, although the patient does report pain and tenderness, and a doctor can see that the patient is responding when the area is pressed or handled during an exam. Weakness can also be demonstrated in grip tests.
Treatment for RSI can vary, depending on the nature of the injury. Rest is usually recommended, and patients may need to undergo physical therapy or surgery to treat specific problems. The patient will also generally be encouraged to learn new methods of movement so that he or she can avoid repeating the injury after a return to previous activity. A doctor may also recommend that a patient consider alternatives to the activity that caused RSI. For example, a typist might use dictation software instead of a keyboard.
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