In a world dominated by technology and desk-bound jobs, our bodies often bear the brunt of repetitive strain injuries, also known as RSI. The term RSI encompasses a wide spectrum of conditions that affect soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves due to repeated exertions of a body part resulting in pain, weakness, and altered body movements.
Whether it’s the constant typing on keyboards, scrolling on smartphones, or repetitive motions in our daily life, RSIs wreak havoc on our daily lives. However, RSI is a common complaint and easy to treat with physiotherapy.
Do I Have a Repetitive Strain Injury?
Repetitive strain injuries include a wide array of musculoskeletal conditions, each with its own set of symptoms and challenges. Here are the most common types of RSIs.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Characterised by numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand and fingers. This results from compression of the median nerve in the wrist. This often stems from repetitive motions like typing or gripping objects.
Tennis Elbow. As the name suggests, tennis elbow manifests as pain, tenderness or stiffness on the outer side of the elbow, typically caused by repetitive movements of the wrist and forearm. Activities such as typing, painting, or playing sports can exacerbate this condition.
Golfer’s Elbow. Similar to tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow involves pain and inflammation on the inner side of the elbow. It commonly affects individuals engaged in activities that involve repetitive gripping and flexing of the wrist, such as golfing, gardening, or lifting weights.
Tendinitis. Tendinitis refers to inflammation or irritation of a tendon, often occurring in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, or knees. It results from repetitive strain or overuse, leading to symptoms like pain, swelling, and restricted movement.
Tech Neck. With the rise of smartphones and tablets, tech neck has become a prevalent RSI characterised by neck pain, stiffness, and headaches. Prolonged periods of looking down at screens can strain the muscles and ligaments of the neck.
How Physiotherapy Can Help RSI
Physiotherapy tailors treatment to suit the unique needs of each individual, as RSI varies in severity from person to person.
Manual therapy techniques. Soft tissue release, neural mobilisations, and deep transverse frictions are some interventions which can alleviate pressure on the injury. Strengthening exercises for the wrist and hand muscles improve stability and prevent recurrence. Movement coaching minimises stress on the affected area, allowing for proper healing.
Acupuncture can reduce pain by increasing blood flow to the affected tissues and stimulating the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain-relieving hormones.
Cold Therapy. Particularly for episodes of flare ups, icing the affected area can be beneficial for RSI. The cold temperature vasoconstricts your blood vessels to slow down inflammation production and numbs the pain to provide pain relief. As the pain reduces, combining this with other physiotherapy modalities will be even more effective.
Postural correction exercises strengthen the neck and upper back muscles, improving load distribution and reducing strain. If your activities or job increase the risk of RSI, there are practical steps you can take to reduce the risk of injury. Here are our favourite postural exercises that may be beneficial RSI Exercises To Do At Home.
Given that RSI commonly affects the forearm, your ergonomics set-up plays an important role to alleviate symptoms. If you suffer from tennis elbow, we recommend that you use a wrist pad in order to prevent excessive wrist extension. This allows your wrists to be elevated and reduces constant exertion from your elbows.
Relief from RSI is within reach. Don’t hesitate to book in at Sundial to take your first steps towards recovery.