Repetitive Shoulder Injuries

What is RSI of the shoulder?

The shoulder consists of a number of joints which connect to several tendons and muscles. It is a complex part of the body, but this is what enables you to be able to do so much with the arms. It is for this very same reason, however that so many people suffer with shoulder pain. Chronic shoulder pain is most often as a result of prolonged, repetitive, or awkward movements, otherwise known as repetitive strain injury (RSI). Tasks that can cause RSI of the shoulder include:

• Static loading – where muscles must hold the body in one positon for a long period of time.
• Adopting awkward postures
• Force or pressure on the shoulder, even for a small amount of time
• Hand-arm vibration, for instance from a power tool
• Full body vibration, for instance driving across rough roads
• Working with the arms above shoulder level
• Exposure to extreme temperatures

It isn’t just physically intensive jobs that see shoulder injuries; office workers are also at high risk of developing both neck and shoulder pain. Office workers should take particular care of their posture, as sitting slumped at their desk or straining their neck, and consequently their upper back and shoulder muscles, can result in RSI.

Frozen Shoulder

There are two conditions in particular which affect the shoulder. Frozen shoulder is, as the name suggests, a condition which results in the reduced mobility of the shoulder joint. The condition starts with a dull ache, usually felt over the outer shoulder with sharper pains brought on by particular activities. Frozen shoulder normally develops in the following way: Freezing – Inflammation in the shoulder joint lining leads to the development of scar tissue which restricts shoulder movement. This stage typically lasts between 2 and 9 months. Frozen – A lack of movement in the joint and ‘stickiness’ causes adhesions meaning the upper arm bone doesn’t run smoothly in its socket. This stage normally lasts between 4 and 9 months. Thawing – The movement slowly returns and this usually takes between 5 months and 2 years. If you think you may be suffering with frozen shoulder it is important to keep the shoulder moving and avoid movements that cause you pain.

Rotator cuff syndrome

Rotator cuff syndrome is a condition which describes damage to either the tendons (anchoring the muscle to the bone) or bursa (which act as a gel pad around the bone). The damage caused in these areas results in them becoming inflamed. Sufferers of rotator cuff syndrome will find physiotherapy reduces the pain and cortisone (steroid) injections in the inflamed area can also help. However, any kind of treatment should also be combined with rest. Sufferers who are required to work on a computer as part of their everyday job and need to carry on working should use suitable ergonomic tools that will help to prevent further damage and ultimately aid recovery. These include:

• An ergonomic mouse – this eliminates the twisting forces down the arm brought on by a conventional mouse
• A laptop bag with wheels – wheeling the laptop instead of carrying it over the shoulder significantly reduces the twisting action felt in the upper back and shoulder area
• A telephone headset – eliminates the strain felt in the neck, shoulders and arms by holding a handset particularly between the cheek and shoulder.

What are the legal considerations?

Your employer is legally required to protect you from accident or injury at work so if you have developed RSI as a result of your job, you might be entitled to make a claim for compensation. If you’d like more information, please visit our dedicated website – www.repetitive-straininjury.co.uk or call 0800 028 2060 to speak to a member of the team. Alternatively you can request a call back at a time convenient for you here.