Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) are a dangerous form of injury that can develop as the result of repeated motion or exertion. The damage in these injuries is done to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, and can be chronic and painful. Repetitive stress injuries can affect people in a wide variety of fields, jobs, and recreations. Office workers and blue-collar workers are both likely to suffer these injuries, as are athletes and people use frequently use computers. People from virtually all walks of life can be affected by RSIs.

Recognizing the Symptoms

There are several classic symptoms of RSI. If you exhibit these, it may be a good idea to seek medical attention for your injury. Without treatment, an RSI could get progressively worse and increasingly painful. The symptoms are:

· Chronic pain at the site of damage, frequently the arm, shoulders, back, wrists, or hands. In many cases, the pain may be spread over many different regions.

· The pain increases with activity.

· A noticeable lack of stamina or endurance in the affected area.

Repetitive stress injuries get worse with repeated use of the affected area, and without medical treatment, the consequences can become significant. Unlike in instances of carpal tunnel syndrome, the symptoms may not correspond anatomically to the injury, with dissociated pain along the same nerve or tendon. If you suspect you have such an injury, it may be a good idea to seek immediate medical attention before the injury gets worse.

Examination

Because the damage may be difficult to ascertain, the physical examination of a repetitive stress injury may be equally difficult. A good guidepost for understanding RSI is to conceptualize an injured leg may appear healthy but still be painful. Doctors define an RSI as pain that does not obviously correspond to testable injury. These injuries may be associated with injuries such as:

· Golfer’s elbow

· Tennis elbow

· Carpal tunnel syndrome

· Focal dystonia

If you are suffering from mysterious pain and fatigue, it may be vitally important to your health to get immediate medical attention. Seeing a doctor may be the first step to recovering. If your injury was caused because of your employment, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation for your injury. To learn more about what your rights are, please visit the website of the Racine personal injury attorneys of Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C., today.

James Witherspoon