These are just some of the questions that accompany repetitive stress and will be asked… but what exactly is RSI?

RSI or Repetitive Stress Injury affects millions of people today. Although it is commonly thought of as a work related injury, repetitive stress injury is just that… so it can and does occur from engaging in activities you love doing… if you repetitively put some sort of strain on a given part of your body.

RSI will normally affect those that are sitting at a desk (especially a computer) every day for hours on end. Standing in a production line hour after hour is also a very common way to develop a repetitive stress injury.

These types of continual non-varying activities can take a toll on your body… and eventually your body will let you know that it is growing weary of these constant activities.

However, if aren’t aware of the warning signs or don’t know what to look for in the first place; how are you going to know what to do about them.

These may very well be some of the everyday aches and pains that you are suffering from, but you don’t have to live with them. You can do something about them.

So, let’s take a look at the warning signs of RSI.

As with anything, your body gives you signs when something isn’t quite right. The problem is that you need to be able to identify what it is that your body is trying to tell you. You need to make sure that you are in tune with your body and any aches, pains, or whatever it is transmitting to you. Every individual is different and everyone may or may not have the same specific warning signs, but there are commonalities when it comes to RSI… and if you believe you have any it is wise to consult with your doctor.

With RSI you can have recurring pain and/or soreness in your neck, upper back, shoulders, wrists, or hands. You may even experience tingling, numbness, coldness, or loss of sensations in the affected areas as well.

For instance, a loss of grip, lack of muscular endurance, weakness, and fatigue are all very common signs. All warning signs of repetitive stress.

You may even have tense of even locked muscles in your shoulders and/or arms. If you experience chronic pain or numbness as you lie in bed, this may not simply mean that your arm or hand is just asleep. You should take these warning signs seriously and monitor them closely. If they continue, you should not continue to go on without getting them checked out.

It is certainly worth a trip to the doctor, if you begin experiencing any type of chronic pain. Listen to your body and do what is right for your body and your health. No one wants to live with pain.

Staying in good health means listening to your body and knowing of the warning signs that your body may be transmitting to you. Pay attention to the things that are going on around you or the things that are going on with your body. Only you can know for sure what is happening with your body, and if it is normal. Don’t ignore the warning signs of pain… especially if the pain advances to being chronic… even if only “a little” chronic pain.

See your doctor to find out more about RSI and if you have it.

Article by Jeff Foster. For more important information on repetitive stress injury be sure to visit http://www.rsi-aid.com where you will find advice and tips on repetitive stress injury treatment and repetitive strain injury and more on staying pain free.

So what happens after you get a ‘successful’ procedure like Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery? This is a great question to ask BEFORE you get the surgery. Before I reveal the two secret dangers of a ‘successful’ surgery, let’s talk about the dangers one must avoid before one can get close to what doctors call a successful surgery.

The possible complications of Carpal Tunnel Surgery are:

• An unsuccessful surgery, meaning it flat out doesn’t work.
• Infection
• Increased pain
• Partial or complete severing of the median nerve
• Scar tissue build-up creating more pain and symptoms, also ‘requiring’ a second surgery.

Let’s say that you had a successful surgery. The doctor didn’t accidentally cut or completely sever you median nerve. The ligament was accurately severed and more space was created in the carpal tunnel.

The first secret danger is that it can take months to recover from the surgery, and you have to be very careful not to re-injure yourself.

The body does not like sharp objects cutting and ripping on its tissue. It responds in a variety of ways that occur as pain. This includes a process of Inflammation, increased pain, a limitation on how much strength the nervous system will allow, etc.

You were already hurting before, and surgery causes physical damage to an already unhappy structure. It can take people months even a year to recover just from the surgery. And that’s assuming it was a ‘good’ surgery and not a ‘bad’ surgery that messed up more than it was supposed to.

So let’s say you had a good surgery. Let’s say it takes you 3 months to fully recover. And then you have to slowly start stretching and building up your strength, being careful not to re-injure yourself. That’s a lot of time, and a lot of work, for a simple procedure that was supposed to save you from all the pain and numbness you were having. With surgery, you now have to deal with the trauma of surgery too.

The second secret danger is that the carpal tunnel may not have been the source of the problem.

While your carpal tunnel now may have more space and the nerve is no longer so compressed, it is VERY likely to turn out that the carpal tunnel wasn’t the spot where all the symptoms were coming from. Many people experience a decrease in symptoms for some period of time, weeks or a year or more. And then symptoms come back.

Doctors will just say you need a second surgery, but it is a sure thing that some or all of your numbness was coming from up at the neck and the front of the chest and shoulder. The surgery itself was a success, but it targeted the wrong spot. Oops.

Surgery fails to take into account that there is a larger Carpal Tunnel Dynamic leading to the symptoms you are having, and just cutting on one spot will not beneficially affect that dynamic. Find out more about the dynamic of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

There are more secret dangers, of course. And more importantly, there are reliable methods to reverse your carpal tunnel symptoms without surgery. In far less time than it would take to recover from carpal tunnel surgery.

If you would like to avoid Carpal Tunnel Surgery, get The Carpal Tunnel Treatment That Works

Joshua Tucker, B.A, C.M.T is The Tendonitis Expert. He educates, leads workshops, and trains individuals how to ELIMINATE their Tendonitis related issues like Tennis Elbow, Carpal Tunnel, Plantar Fasciitis, and Wrist Tendonitis. Joshua says “When you have tried all the usual options and they have failed, it’s still not to late to become pain free. It’s also never too early to start.” For more of the RIGHT information about how to Eliminate your Tendonitis, no matter how bad it is or how long you’ve had it, visit http://www.TendonitisExpert.com.

Trigger Finger On The Rise

Prior to the 1990′s, Trigger Finger seemed to affect a small number of the elderly that had experienced some form of direct trauma or excessive strain to one or possibly several fingers. Trigger Finger was more prevalent in those that were already suffering with Osteoarthritis in the affected hand, making many healthcare professionals to believe that Trigger Finger was a byproduct of Osteoarthritis. But within the past 5-years, the age of those suffering from Trigger Finger became much “younger” while the overall number of individuals with the disorder increased. The belief of a direct correlation between those suffering with Osteoarthritis and Trigger Finger seems to be reducing in popularity as many of those suffering with Trigger Finger do not have Osteoarthritis, but instead, are involved in high-risk tasks that are already associated as the causative factor in many types of Repetitive Strain Injuries.

Injuries resulting from repeated motion (repetitive / cumulative trauma disorders — CTD’s) are growing. According to recent annual statistics from the U.S. Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, over 302,000 CTD’s account for nearly two-thirds all of workplace-related illnesses.

Ergonomic disorders are the fastest growing category of work-related illness. According to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, they account for 56 percent of illnesses reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Trigger Finger – Recognized as a Repetitive Strain Injury

Now that Trigger Finger is rearing its head in the workplace with increased intensity, it has been added to the growing list of debilitating Repetitive strain Injuries. Trigger Finger now joins the ranks of Tendonitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Epicondylitis, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, DeQuervain’s and the many other debilitating workplace disorders affecting the upper extremity. So, what is Trigger Finger, how is it recognized and what are its symptoms?

Trigger Finger Explained

Trigger Finger is a form of overuse injury affecting any of the fingers (1-5) with symptoms ranging from a painless annoyance with occasional snapping/jerking of the finger(s), to severe dysfunction and pain with continuous locking of the finger(s) in a flexed downward / forward position into the palm of the hand.

The occurrence of this injury usually results from overuse of the flexor muscles/tendons and the formation of an adhesion or fibrotic nodule on the tendon. If left untreated, the adhesion/nodule becomes larger, therefore creating a conflicting ratio between the size of the tendon and the size of the entrance of the tendon sheath. In most cases, if the adhesion/nodule is not treated, it can continue to increase in size (Depending on activity/use of the affected finger) to the point where it still has the ability to pass into and through the tendon sheath when flexing the finger, but becomes stuck and cannot move back through the tendon sheath when trying to extend/straighten the finger, thus causing the finger to lock in the flexed forward / downward position.

The Trigger Finger Solution

Because Trigger Finger consists of an adhesion, nodule, and scar tissue buildup on the tendon due to excess strain, overuse, or direct trauma to that specific location on the tendon, it should be treated with stretching and strengthening exercises in order to break down the adhesion on the affected tendon. By breaking down the adhesion on the affected tendon, it reduces in size and slides through the pulley system in a normal manner, no longer “catching” and locking into the downward flexed position. (There is also a “thinning” of the tendon, which helps reduce the overall size of the tendon and nodule, therefore allowing it to pass through the tendon sheath with greater ease.) Creating strength in the opposing finger extensor tendons is very important as it allows the finger to return to an extended position in a more appropriate manner. This is where muscle balancing comes into play. By creating equality of tendon length and strength on both sides of the finger joint, individuals can help prevent the onset of Trigger Finger and/or keep it from re-occurring in the future.

Conservative therapy utilizing stretches and exercises has been highly effective, providing long-term and permanent relief. For those wanting to avoid surgery and for those where surgery was not effective in eliminating the condition, stretch and exercise therapy is the solution to both preventing and rehabilitating the devastating symptoms associated with Trigger finger.

Article by Jeff P. Anliker, LMT, a Therapist and Inventor of Therapeutic Exercise Products that are utilized by Corporations, Consumers and Medical Facilities around the world for the prevention and rehabilitation of repetitive strain injuries: repetitive-strain.com.

Repetitive Stress Injuries are complications that occur when a large amount of stress is experienced in a certain area of the body. The stress that is most common in this type of situation is the type that occurs over and over again on a consistent basis. There are several different types of RSI. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is just one type of injury that may be experienced when an individual suffers from injuries that are due to stress injuries that are repetitive in nature.

Causes of Repetitive Stress Injuries

There are a number of potential causes when it comes to repetitive stress injuries. Individuals that spend long hours on a computer may be prone to this type of injury. However, it has been found that certain physical activities, such as sports, may also result in the development of repetitive stress that can be potentially harmful to various areas of the body. There are certain jobs that an individual may engage in that result in injuries to certain areas of the body. Individuals that work in factories, an office, as a cashier, or those that play various types of musical instruments may be subjected to this type of physical complication.

The Symptoms of Repetitive Stress Injuries

There are a number of symptoms that may be experienced when an individual experiences RSI. The following details a list of the potential complications and uncomfortable symptoms that are likely to be experienced:

1. In the area that is severely affected, it is common for a sufferer to experience a numb sensation. This may be accompanied by tingling in the area.
2. The neck and the back area of the individual that suffers from RSI, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a type of RSI, may become quite stiff and relatively sore.
3. Very often the extremities that are affected the most will feel weak. Many may complain that the area feels “tired”. In reality, the area actually is quite tired.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at a Glance

There is a small area in the wrist of an individual that is often referred to as a “tunnel” by medical professionals. This is a relatively narrow space. However, when an individual experiences RSI, swelling is quite common. When the swelling affects this narrow space in the wrist area, it causes pressure to occur on the nerves in the area. These nerves are responsible for delivering impulses that are both “motor” and “sensory” to the hand. Naturally, if there is pressure on the nerves that have this responsibility, the individual is likely to experience pain in the hand. Symptoms that may also occur include that of tingling sensations, weakness, and even odd sensations of numbness.

Conclusion

While Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a type of injury that occurs as a result of Repetitive Stress Injuries, they are not one and the same. Repetitive Stress Injuries are ultimately considered to be the “cause” and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is considered to be the effect.

One of the most common causes of both RSI’s and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is simply improper workstation setup. From your keyboard and mouse to your chair and workstation, it’s probably designed to fit an “average” The problem is, few people are average, and using one-size-fits-all equipment hundreds of times every day can cause significant damage to wrists and other affected areas

If you’re ready to customize your work environment, Ergonomic Resources can help!

Article by Frank Barnett.