How To Protect Yourself Against Repetitive Stress Injury

Carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, golfer's elbow are all common conditions. You've probably heard of all of these types of repetitive stress injuries and likely others as well. They're common in a modern world where we tend to do the same things repeatedly. But if we're so vulnerable to repetitive stress injuries because of our choices for work and play, how can protect ourselves against the painful consequences of pushing our joints too far?

By the time you feel the pain, swelling and tenderness that characterize repetitive stress injuries; it's too late for preventive measures, except as a means of preventing further injury. But if you engage in actions such as computer work or regular tennis play that could lead to a repetitive stress injury, take note of these ways to head those types of injuries off at the pass.

If you have no choice but to go through the motions that could lead to a repetitive stress injury, make sure that when you're finished you take it easy, particularly on the area that could be injured. Do something easy that uses a different part of your body or just sit back and relax for awhile.

Look for others ways to do the same tasks to relieve stress on affected areas. For instance, try using your computer mouse with your other hand for a little while to give your dominant hand a break.

People who do a lot of lifting for your jobs are in danger of repetitive stress injuries to their backs, along with other, more serious back injuries. It's important to know the proper way to lift objects to put minimal stress on your back. Bend your knees and do the lifting with your legs, not your lower back muscles. Your back will thank you.

Mankind is always devising new gadgets to make life easier. Take advantage of them, whether they're kitchen utensils with larger, easier-to-hold handles to prevent stress on your hands or wheeled carts to help you move items from one area to another to save stress on your back and arms.

If you're already feeling the twinges that could signal you're putting too much repetitive stress on a joint, you might want to strap a splint on the area at night to help hold the joint in place and prevent the pain and swelling that accompanies repetitive stress injuries.

After a hard day of work, some type of relaxation techniques might be in order to help your body copy. You might try deep breathing exercises, meditation, listening to relaxing music or just taking part in a low-impact, fun activity such as going for a twilight walk or sitting on your deck watching the squirrels play in the backyard.

Particularly if you work at a desk all day, take frequent, brief breaks so that you're not engaged in a repetitive task without pause for too long. Also, you might want to look up information on exercises for your hands, shoulders and back that can strengthen those muscles or at least alleviate some of the stress commonly felt by office workers.

Heed the warning signs when your body is telling you, "Enough!" It knows what it's talking about and doesn't want you to push yourself too far and end up with a more serious repetitive stress injury.