What is RSI?

RSI is an acronym for repetitive stress injury or repetitive strain injury. 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 type of jobs that cause a repetitive stress injury are assembly line and computer workers. To help prevent yourself from getting RSI, you should practice good posture, ergonomics, and limit the amount of time you spend in stressing working conditions. If you already have this type of injury, then by doing those things, you can possibly halt the progress of the injury. You should also do stretches, strengthening exercises, get a massage, biofeedback training to help reduce your neck and shoulder muscle tension. All of that can help heal any existing repetitive stress injuries that you may have.

A repetitive stress injury isn't a specific disorder; instead it is a loose group of more specific 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. One of the most popular types of repetitive stress injuries is carpal tunnel syndrome. 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 usually caused by a different specific condition. Some of the other conditions in this loose group are DeQuervain's syndrome, intersection syndrome, reflex sympathetic syndrome, stenosing tenosynovitis, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, trigger finger/thumb, and ulnar nerve entrapment.

There are many symptoms that are associated with RSI. The 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 a RSI. 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. Your hand numbness could possibly be caused by a pinched nerve around your shoulder. In the beginning stages of a repetitive stress injury, 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 for an RSI, the doctor will consider all areas of the upper body. If you think you have an RSI, then you should see your doctor.