Can You Tell Which Hand Suffers From A Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)?

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI's) have achieved pandemic proportions during the past fifteen years, affecting millions of individuals on a worldwide scale and costing the business and private sectors hundreds of billions of dollars every year.

"Musculoskeletal disorders are the country's most costly category of workplace injuries and illnesses. In addition to spending $20 billion annually on workers' compensation costs due to RSI's, the U.S. spends another $100 billion on lost productivity, employee turnover, and other indirect expenses;" The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research .

In the case of Repetitive Strain Injuries affecting the upper extremity, the prime cause of injury is the continuous repetitive and/or static overuse of muscles in unidirectional (one-way) movement patterns, which are used to perform most work and recreational activities. (Typing, writing, using a computer mouse, clipping hedges, raking, turning doorknobs, etc.)

Other components that increase chances of a Repetitive Strain Injury include applied force, fixed body positions, duration of activity and the pace of the activities requiring continuous repetitive motion.

The main effort to protect individuals from Repetitive Strain Injuries should focus on addressing areas that can be altered or adjusted in order to reduce / prevent the chances of becoming afflicted with a debilitating Repetitive Strain Injury / disorder.

Computer User's - High Risk For CTS & RSI

ONLY 23% of all Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) patients returned to their previous professions following surgery,according to the Bureau of Labor & Statistics and the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (1997-2000 Statistics).

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.

The term "Repetitive Strain Injury" is a broad categorization encompassing a wide variety of injuries, including but not limited to:

There are a large number of effective, non-invasive "muscle balancing" treatments that exist for repetitive strain injuries, so do not resort to invasive treatment methods before you try to eliminate the cause of the disorder naturally with massage, exercise, physical therapy, etc. Talk with your doctor or therapist to find out what treatment is best for you and your repetitive motion / strain disorder!

Articles focusing on repetitive strain injuries of the upper extremity .

Repetitive strain injuries affect millions of individuals each year. Here you can find information and resources regarding treatment options, injury symptoms, testing procedures, injury prevention techniques and more!