If you have a job, work routine, hobby, exercise or any activity that lets you repeat certain movements, which you are required to do on a regular basis and for a long period of time, you may be a candidate for repetitive stress injury (RSI). Repetitive stress injury is an overuse injury that occurs in the area of the body that performs the repetitive type motion continuously.

While athletes are more prone to having RSI because of the constant repetitive motions they do in the competition and even in their workout activities and practice, anyone can develop repetitive strain if they do not take enough breaks from their repetitive type of activities.

Symptoms Repetitive Stress Injury

Pain in the form of aches, burning sensation and shooting pain in your body from the neck, through the shoulders and down to the forearms, wrist and hands are primary warning signs of RSI. The pain may be localized in a specific spot in your body or diffused, such as, in the entire length of your forearm. The intensity increases with activity and can worsen over time with prolonged activity. Other symptoms of RSI include:

• Weakness in any part of the upper extremities
• Numbness, loss of sensation or tingling
• Fatigue or poor endurance
• Soreness
• Restricted movement or stiffness
• Poor motor control or coordination with the hands / clumsiness
• Feeling of heaviness or stiffness – in the upper limbs

Chiropractic Care and Repetitive Stress Injury

Chiropractic care works well with RSI. When you go to a chiropractic office for your RSI, the chiropractor will review your medical history and conditions, perform in-depth examinations then recommend a personalized treatment care plan that is specific and suited for your needs and lifestyle.

Chiropractic care helps in the restoration of the normal and proper range of motion within the injured joint. The joint where the nerves pass through, gets affected from the damage RSI has caused to the muscles and tendons, and the nerves that run through them. When the joint is able to function well without any impingement, the nerves will not receive additional stress that causes the pain, numbness or tingling.

Repetitive Stress Injuries that Chiropractic can Treat

Chiropractic treatment has been able to successfully treat most RSI-type conditions, such as:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome – Inflammation in the nerve in the wrist that cause pain and other symptoms in the hand and fingers
• Tendonitis – Inflammation of a tendon, layers of collagen fibers that links the muscles to the bones and facilitates movement at all the joints
• Tenosynovitis – Inflammation of a tendon located in the hands and wrists
• DeQuervain’s syndrome – A tenosynovitis of the two tendons surrounding the nerve tunnel that controls thumb movement
• Stenosing tenosynovitis (Trigger Finger / Thumb) – A condition wherein your fingers get stuck in a bent position and may snap when straightened
• Cubital tunnel syndrome – Ulnar nerve compression at the elbow that causes tingling and numbness in the fingers and hand
• Medial epicondylosis (golfer’s elbow) – Overuse of the muscles of the forearm, arm and hand that cause pain in the elbow at the inside part
• Lateral epicondylosis (tennis elbow) – Overuse of the muscles of the forearm, arm and hand that cause pain in the elbow at the outside part

The sooner you can get chiropractic care to help you with repetitive stress injury, the more rapid your road to healing and recovery will be, allowing you to live a normal life, free from pain and discomfort. Just remember that it is your responsibility to initiate life and work changes that will allow you to avoid the source of your repetitive stress injury.