What is a Repetitive Stress injury?
While many injuries have a specific diagnostic box they fit in, there are plenty of others that are considered non-specific. What this means is, they are caused by predictable habits but present in ways or areas that can be unique to that individual. One of those presentations are repetitive stress injuries, also referred to as repetitive strain injuries. These types of injuries are based on a couple of different characteristics:
1) An injury that has occurred due to the repetitive use of certain tissues under certain conditions
2) An injury that is experiencing inflammation which is defined as redness, swelling, heat, and local pain and sensitivity.
3) Often times repetitive stress injuries lead to other diagnosis such as carpal tunnel and shin splints, but they are not there yet
In essence, sometimes elbow pain, wrist pain, and low back pain cannot yet fit the parameters of epicondylitis, carpal tunnel, and disk issues. Instead, it gets classified as an injury created by repetitive stress of the tissue and hasn’t resulted in semi-permanent or chronic presentation.
How do you know if an injury is repetitive strain or something more?
The easy answer is: see an expert! If the pain your experiencing is long standing, debilitating, or causing significant dysfunction, you want to seek a specialist who is equipped to diagnose. If it is new, annoying, and functional, Body Heal is equipped to guide you to answers! We recommend booking a session so one of our expert therapists can provide the relief you are looking for: www.bodyhealtherapy.com. If your still unsure, we offer free consultations at no risk to you!
Some symptoms to look for that may be a sign of repetitive stress injury are:
- Aching at the tendon or joint
- Stiffness around the joint or muscle
- Nerve irritation causing numbness or tingling
- Rapid onset weakness
It seems like Repetitive Stress Injury is what I have. What can be done?
Great question! Here is an easy guide to address your tension:
1) Rest and ice: Any inflammatory presentation requires rest. Specifically, rest from the activities that perpetrated the injury. Sometimes the root cause is unknown. This is where a specialist comes in. Ice is also a great method of intervention to begin to reduce the swelling.
2) Therapy, recovery, and education: Body Heal exists to serve you for this very reason! If you present with any of these issues, be it elbow pain, wrist pain, neck tension, low back pain, knee issues, etc… and you are seeking answers, we are excited to work with you to find them!
