Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment And Prevention

Fast facts on RSI

Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) are caused by overuse of the hands, wrists, or arms.

Many factors can cause RSI, including doing repetitive activities, using equipment that doesn't fit your body well, and not taking enough breaks.

Prevention includes speaking to your employer about the risks of RSI and implementing safe work practices.

RSI is short-term, common pain in the shoulder, arm, and hand.

It can be caused by repetitive use of the arm or hand muscles.

RSI is often treated with rest and ice therapy.

This is a tried and true wrist wrap for repetitive stress injuries.

Surgery may be needed to remove the damaged tissue or restore function to the arm or hand.

What is RSI?

Answer:

RSI is a cumulative trauma disorder that stems from prolonged repetitive, forceful, or awkward hand movements.

The result is damage to muscles, tendons, and nerves of the neck, shoulder, forearm, and hand which can cause pain, weakness, numbness, or impairment of motor control.

Fine hand movements (including typing and clicking on a mouse button), repeated hour after hour day after day thousands upon thousands of times eventually strain the muscles and tendons of the forearms wrists fingers causing microscopic tears.

RSI is a condition that can affect more than just your hands and wrists.

Poor posture and computer use can lead to neck and back injuries.

Staring at a screen for long periods of time can also cause eye strain, arm and neck strains, and spinal asymmetry.

What are the symptoms of RSI?

Answer:

Symptoms of RSI include:

- Fatigue

- Muscle weakness

- Muscle twitching

- Numbness

- Difficulty lifting the arm

- Difficulty lifting the wrist

- Difficulty lifting the hand

- Difficulty lifting the fingers

- Difficulty lifting the hand

- Difficulty gripping objects

- Difficulty typing

- Difficulty holding a pen

- Difficulty holding a pencil

- Difficulty holding a small object

- Difficulty holding a cup

Symptoms of RSI may include pain, fatigue, weakness, clumsiness, lack of strength and coordination, heavy hands and feet, difficulty with key tasks such as opening jars or cutting vegetables, difficulties with wearing jewelry or bracelets.

Behavioral changes may also be present including avoiding using the injured hand and changing shopping habits.

How to treat RSI?

Answer:

Treating RSI is key to reducing the risk of further injury. RSI is an umbrella term for different types of pain, which can include pain in the joints, neck, shoulders, hands, wrists, and arms. The symptoms can be caused by repetitive motions, poor posture, poor ergonomics, overuse, and poor workstation design.

Symptoms of RSI can be relieved by taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

If you develop symptoms of RSI, speak to your employer or occupational health representative.

RSI is often treated with rest and ice therapy.

It may be possible to modify your tasks to improve your symptoms.

What are the causes of RSI?

Answer:

The causes of RSI are:

- Poor ergonomics

- Poor posture

- Repeated movement

- Poor hand position

- Poor hand grip

- Poor hand and finger strength

Repetitive strain injuries, also known as RSI, are caused by the overuse of a particular area of the body.

Symptoms develop gradually and may worsen with continued use of the affected area.

There are two main types of RSI: type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 RSI is caused by repetitive tasks that cause pain and tenderness in the affected area, while type 2 RSI is caused by repeated motions that do not cause pain but do cause inflammation or swelling in the affected area.