RSI is an acronym for repetitive stress injury or repetitive strain injury. It is a condition that affects many people around the world, and is cause from work related upper limb syndrome. It is something that can be prevented and can be treated.

This is usually caused from overusing your computer, musical instrument, or a repetitive motion. This type of injury generally affects the muscles, tendons, and nerves in the arms and upper back. It is also known as work related upper limb disorder.

Medically, this injury happens when the muscles that are in those areas remain tense for a long amount. This is mainly because of poor posture or repetitive motions. The most common RSI that you will know is carpal tunnel syndrome.

Jobs that are Prone to RSI

Jobs related to assembly line and computer workers are the most common type of jobs that cause a repetitive stress injury. You should practice good posture, ergonomics, and limit the amount of time you spend in stressing working conditions to help prevent yourself from injuries and disorders

If you already have this type of injury, then you can possibly halt the progress of the injury by doing those things. To reduce your neck and shoulder muscle tension you should also do stretches, strengthening exercises, get a massage, biofeedback training. All of that can help heal any existing repetitive stress injuries that you may have.

Symptoms

Symptoms can include, but not limited to, pain or soreness in the neck, shoulders, upper back, wrists or hands that keeps happening. You may also experience a tingling, numbness, coldness, or loss of sensation in an area.

Loss of grip strength, lack of endurance, weakness, and fatigue can also indicate an injury. The muscles in your arms and shoulders feel hard and wiry when palpated. While you lie in bed you could experience pain or numbness.

Sometimes those that are in early stage RSI wrongfully think that they are lying on their arms in a bad position and cutting off their circulation. Your symptoms could be caused by what is apparently an unrelated area.

The pinched nerve around your shoulder is responsible for the numbness of your hand. In the beginning stages an area could be in fairly bad shape, but you may not feel any pain there unless the area is massaged.

This is why when you are being evaluated by a doctor, he/she will consider all areas of the upper body.

Types

RSI isn’t a specific disorder; instead it is a loose group of disorders. The majority of these conditions are interrelated, meaning that anyone that suffers from one of them most likely suffers from more than one at the same time.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most popular types of repetitive stress injuries. This is very common with assembly line workers and fairly rare with computer users. If you are a computer user and have arm pain, then it is generally caused by a different specific condition.

DeQuervain’s syndrome, intersection syndrome, reflex sympathetic syndrome, stenosing tenosynovitis, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, trigger finger/thumb, and ulnar nerve entrapment are some of the other conditions in this loose group.