RSIs are not so much diseases as they are a response to excessive and repetitive
demands placed on the body. The hundreds of known repetitive stress injuries, or RSIs, all
have a similar cause: excessive wear and tear on your body. They start when you do the
same task over and over again, from clicking a mouse to craning to see the computer
monitor. If your body doesn't get a chance to heal, the damage adds up, and can eventually
destroy your ability to do your job. (CNN -- Working Wounded)
How
to Start an RSI Support Group, Judy Doane,
The large information gaps that exist for people with injuries that tend
to heal very slowly create the need to seek out others with similar
injuries and to find resources. The desire for a regular meeting develops
in the community and one or more persons then initiate the process of
organizing meetings. The composition of the group that attends will depend
largely on the community from which it springs. The following is an
outline that incorporates some of the typical elements of that process.
Incidence
of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy in Repetitive Strain Injuries, Lisa M.
Sattler, MS, PT
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)—recently renamed complex regional
pain syndrome types I and II—is a documented condition described in the
literature as a pain syndrome occurring as a result of trauma to a body
part. Repetitive strain injuries have been described as injuries that at
least partially involve microtrauma to soft tissue. In a number of cases
patients with RSI have slowly developed RSD, which has been neglected in
the literature. I have recently been introduced to the possibility that
many RSI patients have "mild" or "early" RSD, and I
want to alert other clinicians as well as patients.
A
Brief Guide to Keyboard and Industrial Overuse Syndromes - Compiled
by: David Mc Farlane (233KB MS Word)
Repetitive
Strain Injury and Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Hal Blatman, MD
During the last few years I have followed the postings to online
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) discussion lists with considerable
interest, and have occasionally offered some suggestions for myofascial
pain sufferers. I’ve written this FAQ to assist in understanding
myofascial pain, a syndrome that is still quite a mystery to many people
including physicians, chiropractors, and therapists.
20 Clinical Truths About RSI by Peter
Bower, MD
Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome from Nidus Information Services
An extensive report on CTS with information, resources, and literature. Part of the
Well-Connected library http://www.well-connected.com,
which consists of over 90 in-depth reports on common psychological and medical problems
and wellness topics. Reports are reviewed by physicians at Harvard Medical School and are
updated quarterly.
STUDY: Computer
Related Symptoms: A Major Problem For College Students by Erik Peper, Ph.D. and
Katherine H. Gibney
Computer use among students has increased dramatically in the last few years. Many
universities now require a computer and computer literacy for enrollment. When questioned
about computer use most students report discomfort such as dry eyes, neck and shoulder
tightness, back pain and exhaustion.
The Role of the
Neck in RSIs by Robert L. Kane, DC, CCUCS and David A. Browning, DC
Recently, medical research has been targeting the role of the cervical spine
(neck) as it relates to upper extremity injuries (hand, wrist, elbow, arm, and shoulder).
Specifically, the role of cervical biomechanics (the motion occurring at the joints of the
neck) is now seen to play a significant role in RSI.
Double Crush & CTS
by Dr. Robert L. Kane, DC, CCUCS
Medical literature has repeatedly documented the involvement of multiple injury
sites in repetitive strain injuries. This is commonly referred to as a "Double
Crush" Syndrome.
RSI
and Mouse Bite are a Pain in the Neck! Michael Roberts, B.App.Sci.
(Physiotherapy)
With the increasing use of personal computers in homes and offices around
the world, there is an increasing incidence of computer-related disorders.
When the RSI epidemic swept the world in the late 1970s it was believed
that the arm symptoms were coming from the wrists and forearms or from the
complainants’ heads (i.e., "It's all in their heads.").
The
Value of Early Detection and Treatment of CTDs, Bonnie Sussman, MEd,
PT
As the incidence of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) increases,
companies continue to look for ways to prevent these problems or minimize
disability and costs when they do occur. Preventive efforts such as
minimizing repetition whenever possible, rotating jobs, setting up
ergonomically sound workstations, taking stretch breaks, and using
assistive devices are becoming more widespread. Although prevention
techniques are critical to success, it can sometimes be hard to know how
much and where to apply them.
Wired
News -- RSI:
It's Not Just for Geeks, by
Joyce Slaton
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,20897,00.html
Welcome
to Generation Stress. Repetitive Strain Injury syndrome -- caused by
stressing muscles, tendons, and nerves -- has been bustin' out in the
ranks of computer workers since the industry kicked into high gear. But
it's only recently that its debilitating effects have begun cropping up in
other industries.
A Patient's Guide to Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD)
Treatment Approaches - Rest, Relaxation, and Recovery - Posture
Wrist and Hand
A Patient's Guide to Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome
(Introduction) (Anatomy) (Diagnosis) (Treatment)
Intersection Syndrome
DeQuervain's Tenosynovitis
Guyon's Canal Syndrome
Trigger Finger and Thumb
Elbow
Lateral Epicondylitis
(Tennis elbow)
Medial Epicondylitis
(Golfer's Elbow)
Radial Tunnel Syndrome
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Shoulder
A Patient's Guide to
Shoulder Problems - Impingement Syndrome
Neck
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Back
Low Back Pain
About.com - Repetitive Strain Injuries
http://rsi.about.com/health/rsi/mbody.htm
David Ruegg's Repetitive Strain Injury Page
http://home.clara.net/ruegg/index.htm
A nice, focused site on RSIs, their symptoms, treatments, changes to the workplace, and
Dave's own experiences with RSIs.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
http://uhs.bsd.uchicago.edu/~roach/carpal-tunnel.html
A user's guide to the nerves of the wrist
Keith W. Roach, M.D.
University of Chicago
Section of General Internal Medicine
Avoiding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
http://web.cps.msu.edu/facility/ergonomics/cts.html
Michigan State University
Repetitive Motion Injuries
http://www.annurev.org/series/medicine/vol46/higgme46.htm
Philip E. Higgs, M.D. and Susan E. Mackinnon, M.D. , Division of Plastic Surgery,
Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Repetitive motion injuries have presented clinicians with a significant challenge over the
past two and a half decades. Acceptable treatment of inflammatory disorders is well
established, but compressive neuropathies and nonspecific complaints of numbness,
tingling, and discomfort in the upper extremity present vexing dilemmas. Current research
and experience point to multilevel problems, including posturally induced muscular
imbalance. Although surgical solutions to these problems are sometimes indicated,
conservative approaches successfully treat many individuals and have narrowed the scope
and indications for surgical intervention. These approaches include ergonomic changes at
the workstation, postural changes, and muscle stretching and strengthening to correct
imbalance.
The RSI Clinic
http://web.idirect.com/~cidr/
The RSI Clinic is an innovative medical clinic specializing in the assessment, treatment,
and research of Work related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD or RSI) and other soft tissue
injuries.
RSIProgram
http://www.rsiprogram.com
On this website, based on the book, "It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: RSI Theory & Therapy for Computer Professionals," you'll find a five-page article synopsizing the authors' theory of RSI, an interactive quiz, many excerpts and testimonials from the book, an awesome review, a brochure that you can print for business or personal use, and
their collection of web links
Repetitive-Strain-Injury.com
http://www.repetitive-strain-injury.com
http://www.rsi-questions-and-answers.com
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is a common condition among individuals who work in an environment that
places stress on certain parts of the body.
Eliminating Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
http://www.impaccusa.com/impacc9.html
A newsletter from IMPACC (1995).
Also note IMPACC's Frequently Asked Questions on Repetitive Strain Injury and Back Pain.
Avoiding a Painful Back!!!
http://www.virginia.edu/~enhealth/ERGONOMICS/BACK/back.html
Environmental Health & Safety - University of Virginia
Exercises may prevent carpal tunnel syndrome
http://www.aaos.org/wordhtml/press/exerci.htm
News Release from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
The Dark Tunnel Of Pain At The End Of The Web
http://webreview.com/97/03/07/feature/index.html
Forget Net congestion and lousy business plans; the Web's Achilles' Heel may be that
tingling sensation in your fingertips. Unfortunately, no one wants to think about RSI
until it's often too late. Are you at risk? Find out in our feature story.
Ergonomic Furniture and Equipment for Evaluation
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~almond/ergo1.html
The University of Arizona's CCIT, Risk Management, and Procurement and Contracting
Services are partners in an area for evaluation of ergonomic furniture and equipment by
the U of A community. A variety of chairs, tables, keyboard trays, and alternate input
devices, as well as vision aids are available for evaluation.
MIT's RSI Information Page
http://web.mit.edu/atic/www/rsi/mitrsi.htm
Information on RSIs including who is at risk, prevention, warning signs, suggested reading
and resources.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Homepage
http://www.netaxs.com/~iris/cts/welcome.html
Brought to you by Metro Smallwares, distributors of COMPFORT: The simple, cost-effective
way to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
New Zealand page for occupational overuse syndrome
http://www.comp.vuw.ac.nz/General/OOS/
Repetitive Stress Injury Help Page (CMU)
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/help/www/
06-Miscellaneous/RSI/repstrTOC.html
Yahoo - Computer Related Health Hazards
http://www.yahoo.com/Health/Workplace/Computer_Related_Health_Hazards/
My RSI Saga: Or, How I am Beating RSI
http://www.geocities.com/joelkorb/myrsi.html
As you've probably gathered from the title of this page, I have gone
through the marvelous problems associated with Repetitive Strain Injuries
(RSI), which basically refers to any injury associated with repetitive
actions, in my case typing. Not to kill the suspense, but I am doing okay
now, approximately 2 years after my first symptoms. I even have a job as a
programmer! :)
Recovery From RSI So Far, by Erik Barkley
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/1702/erikstry.html
Erik's RSI story to date, posted on the LA RSI website (of which Erik is a co-founder). It
is a relatively long article; but in his opinion/experience if you have been severely
injured and really want to reclaim your hands/arms there is a lot of ground to cover.
Amara's RSI Page
http://www.amara.com/aboutme/rsi.html
Ergonomic Computing (or Don't Let Your Computer Cripple You!)
An essay by Amara Graps
Richard Donkin's RSI Page
http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~ishbeld/rsi.htm
This web page covers repetitive strain injury (RSI) - how to prevent it and how to recover
from it. It applies to you, since everyone who uses computers is potentially at risk - so
pick up the prevention bundle to help avoid getting it - believe me, avoiding RSI is worth
the very minor effort involved! You can also find Richard's explanation of AMT at http://www.demon.co.uk/rsi/amt-adv.txt.
Rob Huttens Repetitive Strain Injuries page
http://www.hub.org/~rob/rsi/rsi.html
This is under construction. Hopefully, this will soon be a decent source of information on
RSI (also called Occupational Overuse Syndrome or Cumulative Trauma Disorder.)
William Silverstein's Story
http://www.sorehands.com/injury
Thought you might want to add some of the information from my pages to your pages. I had
been through quite a bit with tendinitis and more.
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