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Repetitive Strain Injury. August 23, 2011

Posted by Joanna Wilson in Uncategorized.
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Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is a general term to describe chronic pain in any part of your upper body caused by overuse.  It commonly affects arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, neck, shoulder and the upper back.  It is caused by doing an activity repeatedly over a long period of time.

The term RSI  covers a number of muscoskeletal injuries such as

Symptoms will be dependent on the anatomy and diagnosis of your condition but may include; stiffness, tingling, sharp or dull ache, pain in the muscle or joints, numbness, weakness, cramp or swelling.

Initially symptoms may only be present when performing the task and improve on resting, this may last for several weeks , but without treatment, your symptoms will get progressively worse.

Diagnosis of your symptoms will be made by your G.P.  Repetitive strain injury is categorised into two types – Type 1 is when the doctor can diagnose a recognised medical condition such as the above list.  Type 2 is where the doctor cannot diagnose a specific medical condition usually because there are  no specific symptoms just a feeling of pain.

There are numerous causes of RSI dependant on your job or location of the injury.  Some causes include repetitive activities, doing an activity which involves force i.e. carrying of lifting heavy objects, poor posture, awkward working position or carrying out an activity for a long period of time without an adequate break.  Other causes are cold temperatures, working with vibrating equipment and stress.

Treatment will also be dependent on diagnosis but generally R.I.C.E treatment will be the initial management.  Rest for a few days then begin mobilising the joint on the advice of your G.P. or physiotherapist.  Applying ice-packs or heat packs may help alleviate your symptoms and reduce any swelling.  Elastic supports or a splint could be used on the wrist or the elbow to give support.  Your doctor may prescribe anti inflammatory medication to help with pain relief.  If you are on other medication or suffer from stomach problems or asthma medication on the advice of your doctor only.

After this treatment, physiotherapy will be recommended.  They will give you advice on posture, exercises to strengthen or relax muscles and can also perform TENS, ultrasound and infrared sessions.

If your symptoms are work related, look at ways to improve your working life.  Talk to your manager about your problems and they can carry out a risk assessment.  This may report that you need a new chair or a different keyboard, or they may be able to accommodate a new role that will help to relieve your symptoms.

Cricketers Rotator Cuff injury November 30, 2010

Posted by Joanna Wilson in Uncategorized.
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rotator cuff injury

The shoulder joint comes under tremendous strain during any sporting activities.  None more so than fast bowling cricketers.  The shoulder rotates in many directions and has a great range of movement.  The motion involved in over-arm bowling strains the shoulder joint and tears in the muscle can develops over time.  It can start as a minor tear but with overuse can quickly develop into a major restricting injury.

The rotator cuff is made up of a group of four muscles called the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor.  These four muscles combined are called the rotator cuff.  Shoulder sport injuries to your rotator cuff are usually caused by two things – tendonitis, an inflammation of the tendon, or a tear to the muscle caused by sudden trauma.

An acute tear happens suddenly whilst doing an activity e.g. bowling a ball, when a tearing sensation is felt in the shoulder followed by pain down the arm.   A chronic tear develops over a period of time

The main symptom of a rotator cuff injury is pain which limits range of movement.  The pain in your shoulder will be particularly severe when the arm is raised out to the side or you try to reach behind you.  The pain may radiate down the arm to the elbow and can be worse at night.  The shoulder may feel weakened and simple everyday tasks like dressing will become troublesome.

Initially treatment should be using the R.I.C.E method.  Rest your shoulder for a few days avoiding the activity which causes you pain.   Apply ice packs to your shoulder for about 20 minutes three to four times a day to help reduce inflammation.  Never apply ice directly to the skin, wrap in a towel to prevent damage to the skin.  A sling may be used for a few days to help give support to the shoulder but should not be over used as the shoulder needs gentle movement to prevent stiffness. Anti inflammatory analgesics should be taken under the advice of your G.P. to help with the pain.

If symptoms persist more than 2-3 days seek help and advice from a physiotherapist.  A sports injury specialist can assess your injury and set out a treatment plan.  They may give you stretching exercises to do at home to relieve symptoms and strengthen muscles to prevent further injury.

Rotator Cuff Injury December 15, 2009

Posted by Joanna Wilson in Uncategorized.
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torn rotator cuff, physiotherapyThe most common sports injury to your shoulder joint is a rotator cuff injury.  The rotator cuff is made up of a group of four muscles called the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor.  These four muscles combined are called the rotator cuff tendon.  This injury is common in swimmers and sports using rackets especially those involving repeated overhead motions with your arms.

Shoulder sport injuries to your rotator cuff can be caused by two things – tendonitis, an inflammation of the tendon, or a tear, caused by sudden trauma or gradually by wear with age.  An acute tear happens suddenly whilst doing an activity e.g. serving a ball, and you get a tearing sensation in the shoulder followed by pain down the arm.  This will be followed by a

limited range of movement of the shoulder joint often unable to abduct the arm, pain on movement of the joint and muscle spasms.

A chronic tear develops over a period of time and affects people over the age of 40.  Symptoms include pain in the joint especially on leaning on the elbow and pushing upwards on the shoulder or if sleeping on the effected joint and a feeling of weakness in the joint more common on the dominant side.

Initially treatment should be self-help.  Rest your shoulder avoiding the activity which causes you pain.  Apply ice packs to reduce inflammation.  Take analgesics and anti-inflammatory medication.  Do move your shoulder gently to prevent stiffness.

If symptoms persist more than 2-3 days seek help from your G.P or physiotherapist.  A sports injury specialist can assess your injury and set out a treatment plan.  They may give you stretching exercises to do at home to relieve symptoms and strengthen muscles to prevent further injury.