What is Repetitive Stress Injury?

Lately, have you been experiencing pain in your back every time you bend or pick up something heavy? Or maybe your knees hurt when you squat or climb stairs. It surprises you, because you've always been quite healthy and fit. But wait a minute; isn't this happening ever since that accident? That's funny, considering your doctor said everything was okay. But yet, this pain keep coming every few days and then disappearing when you take a pill or just give it some good old TLC. If you find yourself suffering in this manner, and if you've been injured in the near past, this could be Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI)

RSI is a type of injury that occurs when the same part of your body is stressed over and over again. For example – if you work on an assembly line that requires you to bend and work a lot, eventually, your back will begin to hurt when you try and bend. Similarly, those who work on computers for long hours will complain of recurring neck, shoulder and wrist pain. RSI is peculiar because many victims find that the pain disappears if they discontinue the activity for a few days. When they're back to it, it starts again. This is because it is 'repetitive stress injury' – which means the pain will remain as long as that part is subjected to repetitive stress.

It becomes obvious, with this description that RSI occurs specifically in work related injuries – since most people have little-varying jobs. Most people don’t even realize that they're suffering from RSI until the pain actually forbids them from doing their job properly. Until that point, they just assume them to be regular aches and pains that go away on their own. Because of such misunderstanding, they will continue doing the same activity, thus causing more stress to that part.

RSI can be prevented, but in order to do so, it essential to spot it at its onset. It is important to distinguish the pain arising from RSI from the pain that one would have in case of any other injury. The latter will subside as the body heals itself but the former will persist, often arising and quelling in sporadic events. The latter also has a specific reason – for example, a flesh wound, a broken bone, or a torn ligament. The former has no such factors and thus one may not be able to understand why the pain occurs without reason. Symptoms of RSI include:

1. Recurring pain, swelling and general soreness in areas of your body that are worked a lot at your job is one symptom. For example, if a traveling salesman experiences pain every night in his ankles or knees – it could be RSI.
2. Pain is often accompanied by numbness, tingling sensation, stiffness and general loss of sensation on the skin of the affected part
3. It becomes difficult to work the affected part. For example, if you work at the computer for long hours, you may find it difficult to pick up and hold things and generally perform activities with your fingers and wrists. You will lose grip, muscles will be low on endurance and you will be prone to experience overall fatigue
4. Muscles locking or becoming extremely stiff when you wake up in the morning. Most people think that it is because their arms and legs have fallen asleep, but if it's coupled with the above symptoms, it could point to RSI.

An RSI claim needs to be handled by an expert lawyer, because of its uniqueness. Visit claims4negligence.co.uk to understand what makes RSI compensation claims so different.