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What is a repetitive strain injury?

Sometimes called repetitive stress injuries, a repetitive strain injury (RSI) is damage to your muscles, tendons or nerves, and is caused by repetitive motions. Any motion or activity can cause an RSI if done enough times, even things like playing a sport, instrument, or typing on a keyboard.

Because RSIs are injuries built up over time, they can become more severe injuries if not dealt with properly. Examples of more extreme injuries are stress fractures, ganglion cysts, nerve, compression syndromes, and herniated disks.

Symptoms and Treatment

Symptoms of an RSI include pain, swelling, numbness, stiffness, and weakness. The best treatment for an RSI is to first reduce the number of times the activity that caused the RSI is performed. This prevents further damage to the body and reduces your chances of getting an RSI from that activity again. The RICE method is another common and effective way of treating RSIs. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Applying a cold compress and wrapping an elastic band around your injury can help prevent swelling. Taking over-the-counter NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or aspirin can help relive symptoms like pain as well. If your strain is severe enough, your doctor may also have you work with a physical therapist to help you recover.

Repetitive Strain Injuries can be painful and uncomfortable, but they are relatively harmless and should heal on its own. Taking enough time to recover and reducing time spent doing the activity that caused the RSI is crucial.