Repetitive Strain Injury

🌿 Overview

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) accounts for approximately 2 in 3 occupational injuries in the U.S. Symptoms develop gradually over periods of repetitive activity and include pain, aching, tingling, and restricted movement. In early stages symptoms disappear with rest; in chronic stages they persist even at rest. The body will usually heal naturally if allowed to — but the activity causing the problem must stop or be significantly modified. Once chronic, recovery is much harder. RSI, tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome overlap considerably.

Common signs

• Pain, aching, or burning in the affected muscles or tendons during or after repetitive activity
• Tingling or numbness in the fingers or hand
• Restricted movement in the wrist, arm, shoulder, or neck
• Early stage: symptoms disappear with rest
• Chronic stage: symptoms persist even at rest
• Possible tissue swelling in the affected area

🔎 Why it happens

Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.

• Prolonged, repeated, rapid, or forceful movements — typing, mouse use, barcode scanning, instrument playing, assembly line work
• Working with poor wrist or arm position (bent wrists while typing is the primary mistake)
• Workplace stress (strongly associated with RSI development and chronicity)
• Poor posture at workstation
• Overweight (extra 20-30 lbs quadruples RSI and carpal tunnel risk — fat in the wrist area presses on the median nerve)
• Cold hands (constricts blood vessels, reducing healing blood flow)
• Caffeine (dehydrates tissues), nicotine (reduces blood flow to extremities), alcohol (increases inflammation)

✅ What to do

Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.

1. STOP or significantly MODIFY the causative activity — the body heals itself if allowed to
2. WORKSTATION: keyboard and mouse should be as close to the body as possible; monitor at eye level, directly in front; papers on a slant board or copy stand; consider a specially designed ergonomic keyboard
3. WRISTS MUST REMAIN STRAIGHT while typing — never bend the hand up or down; this is the primary cause of progression to carpal tunnel syndrome
4. MOUSE: only need to move it 30° horizontally; consider a mouse pad on a slightly tilted board
5. COTTON GLOVES with finger-tips cut off: keep hands warmer; dramatically extends work longevity when fingers are cooler than your cheek
6. Maintain proper posture throughout the day; use a chair with good back support
7. BREAKS: 1-2 minute break every 30 minutes; stretch wrists, roll shoulders, gently stretch neck
8. SLEEPING POSITION: do NOT sleep on stomach with head tilted; do NOT sleep with arms overhead; do NOT sleep on the injured side; sleep on the unaffected side with pillow under the injured arm, or on the back with pillow under each arm to the shoulders
9. WHILE DRIVING: keep hands low on the steering wheel in a relaxed grip; on long trips, rest forearms on a pillow on your lap
10. Drink 2-3 quarts of water daily; also fresh vegetable juices daily
11. Use a headset instead of cradling the phone on your shoulder
12. Lose excess weight: stop eating meat, fat, junk food, and starches
13. Take deeper breaths at work — oxygen recharges the body
14. Eliminate caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol completely

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🍽️ Eating to help

Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.

Favor these

• Adequate water (2-3 quarts daily)
• Fresh vegetable juices
• Plant-based whole foods (reduce weight and inflammation)

Go easy on

• Meat, fat, junk food, and starches (linked to excess weight which quadruples RSI risk)
• Caffeine (dehydrates body — directly worsens RSI)
• Nicotine (reduces blood flow to extremities)
• Alcohol (increases inflammation)

Weight loss from eliminating meat and processed foods is one of the most impactful steps — excess body fat physically compresses the nerve pathways in the wrist.

💬 Ask Remy about Repetitive Strain Injury