How Do Repetitive Motion Injuries Occur?

We need our hands for work, leisure and various tasks in between! Yet, we often don’t think about how these areas of the body consist of a network of nerves, tendons, muscles and over 25 bones.

These components assist with movement, no matter how simple or complicated. Yet, overuse can damage these tissues, resulting in what’s known as a repetitive motion injury.

Basics of Repetitive Motion Injuries

Also called repetitive strain injuries (RSI), these conditions don’t have to result from playing sports or another strenuous activity.

Typing on a computer, using a mouse or tools, assembly line work or performing the same task for hours at a time can manifest in a repetitive strain injury. In fact, repetitive motion injuries are some of the most common injuries in the U.S.

Although office, construction and factory workers are particularly vulnerable, athletes are not off the hook. As a result of training and going through the same physical motions of play, roughly half of all athletic injuries involve repetitive motion.

The affected areas tend to include:

• Wrists
• Hands
• Neck
• Shoulders
• Forearm
• Elbows

Signs you may be developing a repetitive motion injury include:

• Mild to severe pain or tenderness in or around the joints
• Swelling or throbbing
• Stiffness
• Numbness or pins and needles
• Weakness
• Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures

Even in the mild stage, these symptoms may interfere with your ability to perform common daily tasks and often worsen if not addressed.

Common Repetitive Motion Injuries

The top three most common repetitive motion injuries include:

• Tendonitis: This injury inflames tendons – the white, fibrous tissue connecting the muscles to the bones for flexibility. Tendons are essential for basic joint movement, but they’re also responsible for supporting your body weight. Among all repetitive motion injuries, tennis elbow is a common type of tendonitis.
• Bursitis: Bursa sacs are located at friction-prone areas of your body, adding cushioning and lubrication. Like your tendons, these areas may also become inflamed through repetitive motion.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Due to swelling and inflammation, the nerves passing through your wrist experience compression, which may be uncomfortable or lead to stiffness.

These conditions are grouped into two types of repetitive motion injuries. Type I applies to musculoskeletal disorders, including inflammation of the tendons or muscles around a joint, while type 2 injuries involve a degree of nerve damage.

How Do Repetitive Motion Injuries Occur?

Repeat movements are the source, but repetitive strain injuries may occur from:

• Placing stress on the same group of muscles
• Holding the same posture for long periods of time
• Repeatedly lifting objects
• Friction, stemming from rheumatoid arthritis or gout
• Not exercising enough or using poor form as you do

Individuals who have already experienced a rotator cuff injury tend to have a greater risk for developing a repetitive motion injury, as do individuals with smaller wrists.

Treatment for Repetitive Motion Injuries

First seek treatment before the pain is too great to bear and you’re experiencing functional loss in that joint. If you’re feeling a moderate degree of discomfort, lessen the activities that contribute to or aggravate your pain and make a doctor’s appointment.

A doctor may request an MRI or ultrasound to examine tissue damage or electromyography (EMG) to determine the degree of nerve damage. Generally, individuals with mild damage will be referred for physical therapy. In more severe cases, surgery may be needed.

In the meantime, finding relief for a mild to moderate injury may entail:

• Practicing RICE: You’ll be asked to rest the joint, use ice and anti-inflammatory medications, compress the area and elevate to avoid placing stress on the joint.
• Making Modifications: Adjusting your chair and computer or how you perform certain maneuvers can improve your injury. In any case, the adjustments address your posture and positioning.
• Taking Breaks: Developing this habit allows you to continue working or practicing after the joint has had some relief.
• Stretching Exercises: Exercises like wiggling your hands, stretching your shoulders, marching in place or walking around get the joint moving in a different fashion and can be done during your breaks.

Who’s At Risk for RSI?

Along with desk jobs, other occupations with higher-than-average repetitive strain injury risks include:

• Construction workers
• Janitors and cleaning staff
• Dental hygienists
• Cooks
• Musicians
• Drivers
• Manual labor jobs in cold, outdoor conditions

Have you been directed to physical therapy for a repetitive motion injury?

Contact us to learn more about our our physical therapy programs today.