RSI has become a major drain on our health care system here in the United States and in other parts of the world. RSI accounts for over 67% of all occupational injuries and over $100 billion dollars a year in medical costs, lost wages, and productivity. Statistics indicate that the number of patients suffering from RSI has now surpassed back pain!
RSI appears in all walks of life, in all types of occupations, and in all types of sports and physical activity.
Unlike strains and sprains, RSI develops slowly over time. Other names for these injuries are...
Basically, RSI is caused by the overuse of some part of your body over time. RSI injuries occur as a result of cumulative trauma and overuse of soft-tissues. Soft-tissues that are forced to perform the same job over and over until they become irritated and inflamed.
Computer users make up a large percentage of RSI patients and frequently suffer from repetitive strain injuries to the hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, and neck. In 1981 when the IBM PC was first released only 18% of all illnesses reported were RSI. In 1984, this rose to 28%, by 1992 grew to 52%, and by 2000, a whopping 70% of all occupational illnesses.
This rapid increase in repetitive strain injuries coincides with the increase in the use of personal computers at home and at work.
What are the Solutions?
1. Reduce the impact of repetitions by taking frequent breaks to stretch the affected areas and by working varyin work routines.
2. Reduce the force of repetitive actions by increasing muscle strength, which then decreases the amount of force required to perform a task.
3. Increase the ergonomics of the work area whether at home or at work so that the task is being performed by using more effective tools, furniture, and posture positions.
4. Use rest time for the soft tissues by changing positions, resting, altering work patterns, and by removing the restrictive adhesions either through therapy or as a last resort, surgery.
5. Use the Internet to find various exercises, therapy, and treatment programs applicable to your particular repetitive condition whether it be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or Achilles Tendonitis.
6. Find all natural pain relief products that penetrate the skin to allow blood and oxygen to flow back into the inflammed area, to reduce the pain and accelerate the healing process.
It is important to have your Doctor rule out any organic causes such as arthritis, renal failure, hypothyroidism, diabetes, high blood pressure, and hormonal imbalances.
To properly understand the underlyng cause of your particular RSI injury, you must gain an understanding of the mechanism, and biomechanics of the chain of events and activities that created the problem over the course of time in the first place or you will enter into a cycle that repeats itself, and escalates into pain, inflammation, and new injuries that will result in restrictive scar tissue resulting in real problems that are difficult to deal with effectively.
Pain from RSI is a messenger that something is wrong and needs to be corrected. Listen to it, and see your Doctor to develop an effective remedy plan to deal with your repetitive injury problem.
