The Types Of Repetitive Strain Injury

Many people know of certain types of repetitive strain injuries, but few realize that they fall under this type of umbrella condition.

There are many different types of repetitive strain injuries, and they are a type of injury categorized by an overuse of simple motions.

More often than not, repetitive strain injuries are caused by carrying out the duties of an occupation; making the same movements, over and over again, can lead to strains on certain parts of the body.

Computer workers and assembly line workers are particularly prone to developing a case of repetitive strain injury. In this article, we’ll discuss the different types of repetitive strain injury that exist so that you can better tell what types of overuse to avoid in order to maintain a decent level of health.

One of the most commonly known types of repetitive strain injuries is carpal tunnel syndrome. A case of carpal tunnel syndrome develops when the median nerve which is located inside of the wrist becomes compressed.

When this occurs, the afflicted individual will experience feelings of numbness and tingling within their wrist, sometimes causing them to awaken in the middle of the night due to the pain. The range of motion of the wrist may also be affected in the afflicted individual. 

Another type of repetitive strain injury is known as DeQuervain’s syndrome. Also known as washerwoman’s sprain, this type of repetitive strain injury affects the thumb. There are two tendons within the body that work to control the movement of the thumb, and when the sheaths that hold these tendons become inflamed, pain and swelling may occur within the thumb.

Those afflicted with DeQuervain’s syndrome also often experience a lack of ability to grip with the affected thumb. 

One type of repetitive strain injury that often is confused with DeQuervain’s syndrome is known as intersection syndrome. It’s a painful type of repetitive strain injury that occurs when muscles within the forearm overlap with wrist tendons. 

A type of repetitive strain injury that is similar to DeQuervain’s syndrome is known as trigger finger. In a case of trigger finger, the sheath surrounding the tendons of the thumb becomes swollen or a type of nodule becomes present on the tendon. These two types of afflictions can cause the tendon of the thumb to be unable to move through the sheath, causing cracking sounds when motion occurs and often causing pain when bending the digit. 

Most of these different types of repetitive stress injury require the same types of treatments. More often than not, the use of non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs can be helpful in reducing the inflammation and the swelling of the affected area. In all cases, resting the affected area of the body is of the utmost importance, with most doctors recommending at least 2 weeks of rest.

In the event of an advanced case of repetitive stress injury, surgery may be necessary to correct the problem. Luckily, most surgeries that are performed to treat repetitive stress injuries are outpatient surgeries which require little down-time.