INFORMATION ON REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES

Repetitive strain injury, repetitive stress injury is a term that most people have heard of. Repetitive stress injury is really a blanket name that is used to describe many different types of soft tissue injury including carpel tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. It is usually caused by a mixture of bad ergonomics, poor posture, stress, and repetitive motion.
Repetitive stress injury is the name given to a group of conditions that are caused when too much stress is placed on a joint. Repetitive stress injury happens when the same action is performed over and over.
Performing the same action over and over can cause pain and swelling in the muscles, tendons and bursae.
Tendons are the strong flexible bands of tissue that attach muscles to bones.
Bursae are small sacs filled with fluid that act as cushions between tendons and bones. Bursa is the name used to talk about just one sac.
The pain and swelling of repetitive stress injury is called inflammation.

SYNONYMS OF REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES

Repetitive Stress Injuries
Overuse Syndrome
Cumulative Trauma Disorder,
Occupational Overuse Syndrome
Repetitive Motion Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tendonitis, Tenosynovitis

CAUSES OF REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES

Cause of the repetitive stress injury is dependent on the actual injury type. However, most repetitive stress injuries have similar contributing factors

1. Repetitive task - small, rapid movements that are repeated over and over.
2. Awkward sitting or standing positions - working in an awkward position or not moving regularly.
3. Heavy moving - using force or moving heavy loads.
4. Lack of rest time - no time to take a break during work or activity.
5. Bicipital tendinitis is often caused by using the arm to make repeated scrubbing motions.
6. A tennis elbow is caused by repeatedly bending the wrist backwards with force, such as when playing tennis or painting with a brush.
7. Golfer's elbow is caused by repeatedly bending the wrist forward with force, such as when pulling ropes or golfing.
8. DeQuervain's tendosynovitis is caused by repeated pinching or twisting of the wrist.
9. Housemaid's knee is caused by kneeling or leaning forward for a long period of time, such as when scrubbing the floor.

SYMPTOMS OF REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES

Repetitive strain injury conditions have many varied symptoms.

1. Recurring pain or soreness in neck, shoulders, upper back, wrists or hands.
2. Tingling, numbness, coldness or loss of sensation.
3. Loss of grip strength, lack of endurance, weakness, fatigue.
4. Muscles in the arms and shoulders feel hard and wiry when palpated.
5. Numbness in the affected area, especially the fingers
6. Disability because of chronic pain or weakness, frustration and depression due to pain.

DIAGNOSIS OF REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES

Diagnosis of repetitive stress injury starts with a complete medical history and physical examination. Other tests are:
X-rays and other imaging scans, such as an MRI
A nerve conduction velocity test to check for nerve damage
Blood tests, including a complete blood count, to rule out infection
A biopsy of any fluid or growths to rule out infection, tumor, or cancer

TREATMENT OF REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES

Personal efforts and following tips can help as treatment

1. Break up your typing with frequent rest breaks. There should be a one-minute break every 20 minutes, or at least 5 minutes every hour.
2. Pay attentions to the ergonomics of your workstation and your chair.
3. Another facet of your child's treatment plan could be anti-inflammatory medication to reduce the pain.
4. Soft Tissue Therapy works by decompressing the area around the repetitive stress injury thus enhancing circulation and promoting healing.
5. Biofeedback can be used to reduce stress-related muscle tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders.