Anyone diagnosed with a repetitive strain injury (RSI) in Arizona will attest to the ongoing discomfort and significant inconvenience they can cause. However, not everyone has a solid grasp of exactly what these types of injuries are, how they occur, how they are diagnosed and optimal treatment methods for addressing them.

Fundamentals of repetitive strain injuries

Repetitive strain injuries stem from constant, repetitive movements that result in harm to a muscle, tendon or nerve. There are seemingly countless types of motions or tasks that could conceivably produce such injuries, and the harm regularly manifests itself in parts of the body that include:

• Wrists
• Fingers
• Shoulders
• Elbows
• Arms
• Knees

Given the range of body parts that can be impacted by repetitive movements, it is no surprise that the conditions that fall under the repetitive strain injury umbrella include things such as carpal tunnel syndrome, Tennis elbow, tendonitis, and shin splints. Over time, these can lead to bursitis, stress fractures, disk herniation and more and require costly physical or occupational therapy and other treatments.

Preventing repetitive stress-related conditions

A repetitive stress injury is often diagnosed through the use of imaging tests that could include computed tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, x-rays or other modes of detection. Once that has occurred, it is important for patients and doctors to carefully assess what kinds of ongoing movements or tasks might be to blame so that the process of healing can be optimized.

For many sufferers, it turns out that the cause of their repetitive strain injury is a work-related one that may stem from an employer’s failure to follow federal laws designed to prevent such harm. A lack of proper protective equipment, insufficient warm-up or break times in between bursts of effort, or other factors on the job site can and often do produce these types of injuries, many of which take a substantial period of time to resolve.

By having a better understanding of the risks of repetitive strain injuries, their most frequent causes and the workplace and other measures that can be taken to prevent them from developing, it is possible to reduce the likelihood that these painful conditions will put you on the sidelines or require you to dramatically alter your routines or professional duties.