It is caused by frequent and repetitive movements of a certain part of the body and mainly affects the upper body such as the forearms, elbows, wrists, neck and shoulders.
In the world of holistic therapies the word 'balance' is used a lot and this probably has more relevance to RSI than any other injury because it's not something that just suddenly happens like an injury from a fall for example. RSI is a slow cumulative build up of strain caused by the overuse of the same muscles with little or no variation, poor posture and stress that eventually tips the balance of the body into dis-ease.
Hairdressers, painters, musicians and certain sports people are all prone, although one of the most common examples of RSI is in the forearms from computer work; and this is no surprise when so many of us use the tiny muscles in our hands and slim muscles of the forearms for periods of seven to eight hours at a time.
However it's not just about dealing with the over use of the arms and the hands, rather the whole issue of tension in the upper back, neck and shoulders caused by stress and poor body awareness that needs to be addressed when preventing and treating RSI.
The start of RSI
This then shortens and tightens our neck, rounds our back muscles and gives us that C shape appearance. Before long muscle imbalances occur; placing unnecessary strain on the tendons, ligaments and joints of the upper body.
The chest 'caves in' putting pressure on our diaphragm and constricting the natural expansion of our chest. Breath is life; and when we're only shallow breathing there is a decline in spirit and a tendency to feel stressed, anxious and less able to cope.
In this state of mind our bodies become tense and our muscles more prone to injury from the repetitive work we are doing. With our shoulders up to our ears, posture often becomes a reflection of how we're feeling inside; feeding back to us a sense of deflation.
In trying to get more breath/ oxygen into the body, accessory muscles in the front of our neck have to work harder which creates further tension in the neck and shoulders and a restriction of movement of the head.
With a lack of oxygen and a build up of toxins, the long slim muscles of the arms are unable to function properly and become susceptible to repetitive strain injury.
Unfortunately RSI by its very nature means that by the time the balance tips to a point where we notice it and experience enough pain or discomfort to not want to put up with it or physically can't continue doing what we were doing; it is already a long term issue.
Making sure we have good ergonomics at our work place, taking regular breaks, developing good postural awareness with whatever we are doing and learning how to cope better with stress are therefore key in preventing RSI in the first place.
Massage for repetitive strain injury
Muscular tension and knots are released from the upper body and space is created around the head, neck and shoulders. The body is realigned and blood and lymph are encouraged to flow unimpeded to the muscles of the arms; nourishing, detoxifying and keeping them healthy.
Like most chronic conditions, the more 'set in' the repetitive strain injury has become the longer it will take to treat and therefore tackling RSI with massage can require several treatments all aimed at dealing with the pathology.
Massage for RSI is of course dependent on the individuals needs; but like preventative massage, will involve relaxation and working to release tension, knots and restrictions in the neck, shoulders, arms wrists and hands.
A rolled up towel/ bolster between the shoulder blades encourages the shoulders to roll back, the chest to open and for deep abdominal breathing to take place.
Cold stones are used to flush the arms of toxins and bring down inflammation whilst hot stones work to increase oxygenated blood to the injured tissues. More advanced massage techniques such as soft tissue release, myofascial release and trigger point therapy are used to further release tension and ease symptoms.
Passive stretching techniques are also incorporated into the massage as well as advise on stretching exercises to do at home between sessions; thus encouraging greater movement, flexibility and energy flow around the the upper body.
