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.

The RSI Relief Facebook Page provides a neat way to follow what’s happening at RSI-Relief.com. We’ll use the Facebook page to highlight the latest RSI and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome news.

The Facebook page also gives you an easy way to interact with other people who suffer from RSI — you can post something to the wall, or open a discussion of RSI topics.

You can tell everyone about your tactics for dealing with Repetitive Strain Injury, share your successes and frustrations, or ask for advice from other RSI sufferers. The Facebook group is also a great way to connect with other people experiencing the same issues you are.

To follow RSI Relief on Facebook, just visit the RSI Relief Facebook Page and click on the “Become a Fan” button at the top of the page. From then on, posts from RSI Relief will show up in your Facebook timeline, making it easy to keep track of what’s going on at RSI-Relief.com and the world of Repetitive Strain Injury.

(Of course, to become a fan, you’ll need to join Facebook. But don’t worry, it’s free, and it’s fun, and it’s a great way to keep up with your family, friends, and your favorite web sites!)

Here’s what the company has to say about the product:

The MouseBean Hand Rest is designed to provide support, protection and comfort when using a mouse. Following detailed research into the causes of mouse-induced wrist pain, the MouseBean Hand Rest tackles the problem by applying sound ergonomic principles, stylish product design and engineering.

Professional computer users have put the MouseBean Hand Rest through extensive trials and the device has been tested and endorsed by a consulting surgeon.

The MouseBean Hand Rest protects the delicate median nerve that runs through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. It does this by preventing the central part of the wrist from being pressed against a hard surface. The MouseBean Hand Rest supports the hand on the soft fleshy parts either side of the median nerve, and can help to prevent serious nerve damage.

The MouseBean Hand Rest allows the wrist to rotate into a comfortable position and can be used on either hand. The gently rounded base allows it to slide on and off the edge of a mousemat without snagging.

The company also notes that since the pads are made of a squishy gel-like material with a tactile surface, many of their customers use the product not only as a mousepad, but as a stress reliever. Interesting concept.

The MouseBean is available in a wide variety of color combinations to match your mouse, computer, office decor, or just your own whimsical sense of style.

Have you used this product? What did you think of it?

Learn more about the Mousebean Ergonomic Hand Rest at mousebean.com

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.

First-person shooters, for instance. Love ‘em. I still blame Doom, one of the first big shooters, for my initial hand troubles. I’d play for hours on end, using keyboard controls exclusively, with my wrist resting on the edge of the table. Really bad ergonomics, I realize now. But wow, that was fun.

Now I play, when I play at all, mostly casual games. I try to lean towards games that are more strategic and less click-tastic, but sometimes I can’t help myself.

My latest indulgence is a game called Plants vs. Zombies. It’s strategic, yeah, but it requires an insane amount of point-and-click action as well. Needless to say, it’s incredibly addictive.

I try to pace myself, limit my time with the game, but it keeps dragging me back.

Good games will do that.

Meanwhile, my hands are starting to suffer. It’s not at a critical stage yet, but I can see the danger signs and hear the warning bells going off.

So this is not really a recommendation (unless you don’t have hand problems, then it’s a BIG recommendation), but more of a warning.

Do as I say, not as I do, that sort of thing…

If you have RSI, stay way from Plants vs. Zombies.

The NoHands Mouse is a foot-operated mouse that consists of two separate pedals. One pedal operates the pointer, while the other is used for button clicking. By default, a heel-click engages the right mouse button, while a toe-click engages the left mouse button.

Sufferers of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and other hand injuries have restored their mousing quickness and effectiveness with the NoHands Mouse.

The NoHands Mouse eliminates wasteful, repetitive “keyboard-to-mouse” hand movements. With the NoHands Mouse, you can have complete control of the cursor without having to take your hands off the keyboard, or your eyes off the monitor.

For a totally hands-free experience, combine the NoHands Mouse with your choice of voice recognition software or an on screen keyboard.

Learn more about the product at footmouse.com. Here’s a video that explains the product in more detail:

It is certainly an innovative solution, though I imagine it’d take awhile to become proficient with the device. It’s also, at $350, a bit pricey (though no more so than many other specialized ergonomic devices).

But just think of all the fun you could have freaking out your office co-workers — you’d be sitting back with your arms crossed, seemingly relaxing and doing nothing, while your feet were busy pointing and clicking and getting some work done.

Just be careful mixing the NoHands Mouse with toe-tapping music!

Over two years ago I experienced tingling and numbness in my right hand. At times the pain was so restrictive I could not move my hand and at other times there was a prickly sensation as if my hand had “fallen asleep” and I could not regain the proper feeling or use. The surgeon who examined me was talking about surgery so I was going to do my homework first. The thought of surgery spurred me on to find out more and though I was diagnosed with an inflamed ulnar nerve, the research I did kept leading me to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Judy goes on to discuss her search for alternatives to surgery, and what she’s done to help alleviate her pain — including wearing a wrist brace and using a stress ball, as well as utilizing herbal supplements such as Turmeric, Biotin, and Bromelain, among others.

Lots of good information here: Herbal and Nutritional Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

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.

I have still not recovered from RSI, I get numerous flare-ups at completely random intervals. I sometimes think what else have I got to do. I steadily modify my own treatments, increasing and decreasing supplements, exercises of differing types and sleep patterns. Still, when it comes down to it I can’t say that I am cured, that I am like a person without repetitive strain.

In a way I feel like I’m twice the age I am. My body could be that of a 70 year old and my fuzziness and days of cloudy thinking could be easily confused as something that is suffering from early stages of dementia. Still, the GP and NHS can offer nothing for treatment or diagnostic assistance. I am left to do it myself, to try things and be a guinea pig. I’m left without any help what so ever and if I wasn’t for those that I live with, I would be totally screwed on those days I can’t even pick up a kettle on water.

At the moment I am going through a period of discomfort and my head is all over the place. What do I try next, what is left? I don’t know any more.

Wow, sounds like they’re going through a really rough period. Everyone who lives with a chronic condition has those days when everything seems to fall apart, when the struggle seems too much to bear, when the pain and the stress of coping is just soul-crushingly oppressive.

So don’t feel too alone, efhell. We’ve all been there, and periodically revisit this scary and depressing place.

One thing I wondered, as I was reading efhell’s brutally honest and heartbreaking tale, was whether he (or she) was getting enough exercise. The post (of which only an excerpt is shown above) mentions working out with weights, and elsewhere long walks are a frequent topic, but I wonder at their cardiovascular fitness.

Personally, I have found that maintaining a higher level of fitness is important in keeping my RSI at bay. A few years ago I began riding a bicycle, and as I worked my way back into shape over the course of several years, I not only dropped about 25 pounds of weight (which is in itself good for combating RSI), but discovered that simply being fit seemed to help ward off the worst, and it certainly helped keep my mood and energy level up. I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in since my early twenties.

I’m not saying that I’m cured of RSI. If I’m stupid or stubborn, or work too long or too hard or with improper technique, my hands will definitely let me know about it.

Interestingly, in researching the topic, I came up with this:

Some experts have reported that people who are physically fit, including athletes, joggers, and swimmers, have a lower risk for cumulative trauma disorders. Although there is no evidence that exercise can directly improve CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), a regular exercise regimen using a combination of aerobic and resistance training techniques strengthens the muscles in the shoulders, arms, and back, helps reduce weight, and improves overall health and well-being. In one 2001 study, CTS patients experienced symptom relief and signs of improved nerve conduction after 10 months of participation in an aerobic exercise program. (Such improvements appeared to be due to both weight loss and higher oxygen levels.)

So efhell, if you haven’t tried improving your fitness, give it a go. Start slowly, and build up gradually.

Aerobic fitness may seem to be unrelated to RSI, but I can testify that, at least in my case, it’s seemed to make a big difference.

Currently, employers have a legal duty to prevent the occurrence of risks of injury or illness, which are reasonably foreseeable in relation to their employees. However, the latest statistics suggest preventative action to reduce the risk of RSI is still lacking, causing many thousands of workers to develop this debilitating condition.

Despite the well-proven business case of providing occupational health services, it seems to be a low priority with many employers. Only 12.5% of employers provide rehabilitation services and as few as 6.5% of small businesses provide any access to occupational health services for their employees. But it is a big worry to workers -– a recent TUC survey found that 40 per cent of workers felt RSI was a safety concern.

RSI costs employers around £300 million per year in lost working time, sick pay and administration. An estimated 2.8 million working days were lost in 2007-08 due to RSI, with on average each person affected taking 13.3 days off sick. However, RSI is usually preventable or treatable with help from a physiotherapist.

The CSP said that “There is a clear opportunity for employers to do more to provide occupational health services both with regard to prevention of RSI and rehabilitation”, and they are “calling on the Government to both encourage and enforce measures to address this with legislation, combined with incentives and best practice guidance. We may then, after the frustration of many years of no progress, begin to see some reduction in the rates of this almost completely preventable condition.”

In addition to calling for legislation, the CSP is providing a fact sheet on how to avoid repetitive strain injuries.

Refer to the CSP web site for comprehensive statistics on RSI in the UK, with particularly interesting data on the occupations with the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders.