Repetitive strain injury, or RSI, can take many forms and diagnosing whether you are suffering from it is difficult as there is no one size fits all test. The symptoms of RSI can be caused by a variety of factors and the condition often goes undiagnosed despite extensive testing.
However, there are things to look out for to help you diagnose possible RSI, such as your symptoms disappearing when you stop carrying out a repetitive task, and appearing again once you start. You should always seek medical advice if you believe you have the condition.
RSI comes in two different forms according to medical professionals: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 RSI is where you can see obvious signs of the condition like swelling, soreness or inflammation whereas Type 2 RSI doesn’t have these clear signs. Often sufferers of Type 2 will just experience aches and pains in their limbs but cannot be sure of what’s caused them. Doctors will usually be able to diagnose Type 1 easily but will face problems diagnosing Type 2. Severe cases of Type 2 will require X-rays and scans to get to the cause of the problem.
Type 1 RSI covers a multitude of fairly common medical conditions from tendonitis to carpal tunnel syndrome. Others that fall under its umbrella include bursitis (inflammation and swelling of joints like the elbow or shoulder); Dupuytren’s contracture (the thickening of tissue in the palm and fingers); epicondylitis (also known as tennis elbow where the bone and tendon around the elbow become inflamed); tenosynovitis (commonly affects the hand, wrist and forearms tendon sheaths) and trigger finger (where swelling in the tendons of the fingers make it difficult to bend them).
Raynaud’s disease, thoracic outlet syndrome and writer’s cramp can also be classed as Type 1 RSI.
The majority of these conditions are usually caused by activities undertaken at work where repetitive tasks are involved.
Type 2 RSI doesn’t, unfortunately, have conditions that fit neatly into it. Most diagnoses are simply classed as non-specific upper limb pain syndrome or diffuse RSI. This will usually happen once other conditions, such as osteoarthritis or inflammatory joint diseases have been ruled out.
There are similar symptoms for both types of RSI. The hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, elbow and occasionally the neck and back are the most commonly affected areas, and symptoms include:
- Pain
- Tightness
- Dull aches
- Throbbing
- Numbness
- Tingling
Most symptoms develop gradually and will occur while you’re doing a repetitive task and ease off once you’ve stopped. Stress and poor posture will make the injury worse, as will not taking sufficient breaks from the task.
RSI is a condition that affects many people and can be treated successfully if recognised early enough. Many sufferers do not even realise they have the condition which can lead to long term damage.
If you believe you have repetitive strain injury caused by your work, you may be entitled to compensation. Please call us on 0800 028 2060 or contact us here. You can also visit www.repetitive-straininjury.co.uk for more information.