Repetitive Strain Injury

943 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on effect of long working hours

Repetitive strain injury is a term that encompasses a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions that usually occur in sedentary workers. The musculoskeletal injury occurs due to an accumulation of microtrauma caused by repeated soft tissue overload (Ratzlaff 2007). In other words, tissues in the body are repeatedly injured with each injury being minor but, cumulatively, causing serious pain and damage to the body. Repetitive strain injury is not new phenomenon. It was first reported in the early 1900’s as telegraphic operator’s cramp in men who operated Morse keys (Youngson 2005). As the name suggests, repetitive strain injury affect those who perform repeated tasks for long periods of time. Most people affected are those who spend the majority of their work day sitting at a desk or using a computer. Other groups who frequently suffer from repetitive strain injury are those who use a particular muscle or group of muscles repeatedly such as musicians, knitters, and sewers. Factors contributing to repetitive strain injury are repeated use of same muscles, poor posture and sitting for long periods of time.

Manifested primarily as pain in the forearm, shoulder or neck, repetitive strain injury is more common in women, tall people, smokers or those who are overweight. (Youngson 2005). Symptoms include pain anywhere in the fingers, hands, arms or upper spine. Repetitive strain injuries usually begin gradually and progress through distinct stages (Youngson 2005) and are easily manageable in the early stages. It is important to recognize the symptoms and treat early.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common type of repetitive strain injury and results from compression of the median nerve as it traverses the carpal tunnel ...

... middle of paper ...

...biofeedback.

A third treatment commonly used is an ergonomic approach. This involves the minimization of exposure to risk factors in the workplace. One method of achieving this is by the altering or replacement of equipment that is causing the injury. Many types of ergonomic keyboards are available for computer users which reduce the stress placed on the hands and wrists. Employee’s workstations can be altered to include equipment such as desks and chairs that help maintain proper posture reducing stress to the arms, upper torso, and neck. Frequent rest breaks are also encouraged by experts to minimize strain to all parts of the body.

Repetitive strain injury is a condition that can affect a person of any age, gender, or race. Activities and tasks that seem insignificant, when performed repeatedly, have to ability to damage the body if left untreated.

Show More
Related

  • Biomechanics: Achilles Tendinopathy

    1342 Words  | 3 Pages

    Witvrouw, E., Mahieu, N., Roosen, P., & McNair, P. (2007). The role of stretching in tendon injuries. British journal of Sports Medicine , 224-226.

    Read More

  • Kinesiology Tape Case Study

    2070 Words  | 5 Pages

    This is in comparison to compression bandages that must be reapplied once, or even more than once, a day (Kase et al., 2003). This claim is supported through several scientific articles pertaining to different studies done with kinesiology tape. Muscle fatigue is caused by activities and exercise that tire out the muscle and decrease its ability to produce force. When muscle fatigue sets in, stability within the body lessens, specifically around the joints and ligaments attached to the muscles.

    Read More

  • Musculoskeletal System Case Study

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    As technology improves and time on the computer increases, symptoms for these diseases begin to appear more frequently. Sitting on the computer for hours on end makes you prone to developing a musculoskeletal disease since you are not being active or exercising your muscles. Ardahan and Simsek (2015) analyze the interaction and affect on excessive computer work and disease in the musculoskeleton. Their study includes 490 participants who work in a government office in Turkey, and observe how their bodies were reacting to their work environment, excluding workers who are already struggling with pain coming from a previous disease. Results were taken from the experiment by filling out questionnaires that attempted to document the level of discomfort that they experienced. More than 25% were discovered to not take a break during their session on the computer, but found that the average amount of time spent on the computer was 7 hours. The workers recorded musculoskeletal pain symptoms mainly in the neck area and back. Age was not a determinant factor when it came to being more prone to experiencing these symptoms. In some of the results, it was found that women are more likely to have pain in certain areas in comparison to men, and overall dealt with more pain. The data from the study proved that the more use you get on the computer, the more likely you are to develop symptoms of a disorder in your musculoskeletal system. To ensure that you don’t suffer through the pain, the results show that taking breaks from long computer usage is beneficial. It’s important to relax your muscles and keep them active instead of staring at a computer for more than 7 hours with no breaks in

    Read More

  • Improved Occupational Therapy for Adults with Learning Disabilities

    2912 Words  | 6 Pages

    STEIN, F., SODERBACK, I., CUTLER, S., LARSON, B., 2006. Occupational therapy and ergonomics. Applying ergonomic principals to everyday occupation in the home and at work. London: Whurr Publishers.

    Read More

  • Shoulder Injuries in Baseball Players

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the most common injuries is due to overuse of the shoulder because of the repetitive motion required in pitching. Major shoulder injuries include bursitis, inflammation or tears of the tendons of the rotator cuff or rotator cuff tendonitis, shoulder instability, shoulder separation and labrum inflammation or tears. In order to understand the shoulder injuries of baseball players and especially of pitchers, you have to understand the motion involved in the act of throwing. Pitchers perform a wind up, cocking, acceleration and then deceleration and follow through when throwing the ball (see Figure 1) (source). These motions can be performed up to and over one hundred times per game depending on the age and ability of the athlete. Add to the amount of weekly practice time and you can see how this repetitive motion can cause problems over time. The anatomy of the shoulder joint allows the pitcher to generate velocity when throwing the ball. The shoulder joint fits loosely in the shoulder socket or glenoid (see Figure 2) (source). The further the player can bring the arm back raised away from the body (abduction), the more velocity the ball will have when released. Because of the lack of restriction in the shoulder joint a larger demand is placed on the soft shoulder tissue that is responsible for maintaining stability. These are the structures that eventual...

    Read More

  • What Is Occupational Therapy Essay

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    A., de Rijk, A., Van Hoof, E., & Donceel, P. 2011). The therapist has to assess the patient to see if they have a need for splints or supports which may benefit the patient and then step in to help design the specific assistive devices needed. It is the job of the occupational therapist to come up with plans to overcome the inconvenient limitations while still helping the patient to reduce strain and prevent further damage by teaching them techniques that will conserve their energy. There are a variety of different ways to make daily living much easier. The most crucial part of therapy is assessing the patient's environment. All the people, cultural conditions and physical objects that are around them, create their environment. The behavior and development of people is a direct result of the interaction between them and their surroundings. A patient's behavior is greatly affected when they are mismatched with their environment. A person's environment match is present when the person's level of competence matches the demands of the environment. Full participation by the patient is required to make it practicable. “The science and practice of occupational therapy are well suited to develop, refine, and test approaches to translate therapeutic gains into

    Read More

  • Orthopedic Physical Assessment and Physical Therapy

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    A hypothesis that can be made from the patient’s report is that she is suffering from cervical radiculopathy, or a nerve root lesion. Symptoms that describe cervical radiculopathy include: arm pain in a dermatome distribution, pain increased by extension, rotation, and/or side flexion, possible relief of pain from arm positioned overhead, affected sensation, altered hand function, no spasticity, and no change to gait or bowel and bladder function (Magee, 2008, p. 142). These symptoms correlate to what the patient reported as a result of her injury. She stated that her pain is in the posterolateral upper and lower arm with aching and paresthesia in the thumb and index finger, which is in the dermatome pattern of cervical root 5 and 6 (C5, C6) (Magee, 2008, p. 25). She also reports lancinating pain with extension or rotation to the right of her head.

    Read More

  • Physical Therapy

    1641 Words  | 4 Pages

    People have created a hectic and busy world, that includes careers and daily activities that require physical activity. While attempting to attain the required physical conditioning, people often take chances with their personal health as they try to stretch their physical limits. Sometimes, people can surpass their current limits and form new boundaries; however, other times people are not so fortunate. These unfortunate times often lead to injury, including workplace accidents, sporting incidents, disease afflictions, as well as others; any or all of which could bring about the need of rehabilitation services. Many of these require physical therapy, which includes assisting injured or otherwise impaired patients as they recover to their pre-injury status or to recover as much as is physically possible. The field of physical therapy is a choice career for those who enjoy helping people recover from injury, and the following text will provide reason for choosing this profession.

    Read More

  • Bursitis

    509 Words  | 2 Pages

    Does it hurt to move your arm? Is it tender and radiating pain to your neck and

    Read More

  • Is Tension the True Cause of Pain?

    1568 Words  | 4 Pages

    The concept that pain means injury or damage is deeply embedded in the American consciousness. “I have never seen a patient with pain in the neck, shoulders, back or buttocks who didn’t believe that the pain was due to an injury, a “hurt” brought on by some physical activity.” Says Dr. John E. Sarno, M.D. “The pain started after I lifted my little girl” or “Ten years ago I was involved in a hit- from- behind auto accident and I have had recurrent back pain ever since.” Of course, if the pain starts while one is engaged in a physical activity it’s difficult not to attribute the pain to the activity. “But this pervasive concept of the vulnerability of the back, of ease of injury, is nothing less than a medical catastrophe for the American public, which now has an army of semidisabled men and women whose lives are significantly restricted by the fear of doing further damage or bringing on the dreaded pain again” (qtd. in “Healing Back Pain”). With good intentions, this idea has been encouraged by the medical profession and other healers for years. It has been assumed that neck, shoulder, back and buttock pain is due to injury or disease of the spine and associated structures and ligaments surrounding these structures- without scientific validation of these diagnostic concepts. “On the other hand,” States Dr. Sarno, “I have had gratifying success in the treatment of these disorders for seventeen years based on a very different diagnosis. It has been my observation that the majority of these pain syndromes are the result of a condition in the muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments brought on by tension.”

    Read More

  • Essay On Physical Therapy

    1479 Words  | 3 Pages

    As an occupation in the medical field, physical therapists have a very long strenuous list of duties. That list includes working with patients with limited use of their bodies due to injury or disability and improving mobility while reducing pain. Physical therapists provide care to people of all ages who have functional problems such as sprains, strains, fractures, arthritis, amputations, stroke, cerebral palsy, other injuries relating to sports, other injuries relating to work, other neurological disorders, and various other conditions. Some ways that physical therapist go about reducing pain levels of their patients is by using exercises, stretching, hands on therapy, and special equipment that is designed to help increase their mobility, prevent further injury, and smooth out the...

    Read More

  • Essay On Rotator Cuff

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    • Pain: Impingement syndrome begets an aching pain in both the front of the shoulder and also the outer side of the upper arm. The pain will increase on contact as it is tender to the touch, and also certain movements will result in sharp searing pain.

    Read More

  • Physiotherapist Role As A Comprehensive Care Model

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    Physiotherapy is the study of the movement and function of the human anatomy and the relationship between the persons’ health and wellbeing (Dhrs.uct.ac.za, 2015). A physiotherapist’s speciality is treating “individuals across the life-span who have illness, injury or disability affecting the neuro-musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, vascular, and neurological systems” (Ontario Physiotherapy Association, 2015:3). A physiotherapist’s main goal is for their patient to receive the highest level of independence by educating patients how to “prevent reoccurring injuries” that disrupt their daily routine (Ontario Physiotherapy Association, 2015:3). Physiotherapists would deal with “long term ailments” (Zweigenthal et al., 2009:235) that cannot simply be treated with the dosage of medication but with the dedication from both the physiotherapist and patient in the appointed interactive physical sessions, a treatment plan can be formulated to guarantee the most efficient road to

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Physiotherapy

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    In many cases, an injury is caused by a range of factors working together. For example, persistent back pain may be triggered by a combination of poor posture, being overweight, repetitive work-related activities and incorrect technique when playing sport. Exercise is the most widely used and best known type of physical therapy. Depending on the patient's condition, exercises may be performed by the patient alone or with the therapist's help, or with the therapist moving the patient's limbs. Exercise equipment for physical therapy could include an exercise table or mat, a stationary bicycle, walking aids, a wheelchair, practice stairs, parallel bars, and pulleys and weights. Heat treatment is used to stimulate the patient's circulation, relax muscles, and relieve pain. Cold treatment is applied with ice packs or cold-water soaking. Soaking in a whirlpool can ease muscle spasm pain and help strengthen movements. Massage aids circulation, helps the patient relax, relieves pain and muscle spasms, and reduces swelling. Very low strength electrical currents applied through the skin stimulate muscles and make them contract, helping paralyzed or weakened muscles respond again. (TheFreeDictionary.com,

    Read More

  • Computers and Health

    2805 Words  | 6 Pages

    Carpal tunnel syndrome is the first term that comes to mind when thinking of problems that people experience with computer use regarding their hands. Based on my limited knowledge of this topic, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs due to a persons prolonged usage of a computer keyboard. Problems of this sort occur more often due to poor ergonomics and posture. Computer office furniture that does not allow one to adjust the height of the chair or keyboard, so that the arms form a write angle at the elbow, cause strain on the wrist, which may result in carpal tunnel syndrome. People who use computers for long periods of time without giving themselves a break and flexing their wrist have a higher propensity of developing problems.

    Read More

More about Repetitive Strain Injury

Open Document