Repetitive Strain Injuries Shoulder and Neck.

Until fairly recent times, what is now called repetitive strain injury (RSI) was associated with people indulging in sporting activities, and who suffered from such injuries as ‘tennis elbow’ or ‘golfers wrist’.

Such injuries were not recognized as being associated with repetitive movement or of being associated places of work, although such terms as ‘weaver’s cramp’ and threader’s wrist’ where commonplace

But now RSI is recognized as a specific injury relating to repetitive actions in a variety of jobs ranging from assembly line workers, jackhammer operators to computer users and typists. Even sports people like tennis players no longer talk about ‘tennis elbow’ but complain about suffering from RSI’s.

Causes of Repetitive Strain Injury.

There are three main causes of RSI –

a). Repetitive speedy movement of the same body part.

b). Muscle movement exertion leading to forceful movement injuries.

c). Static loading injuries involving carrying and lifting.

Rsi’s are often caused by overwork, an average worker is not designed to carry out repetitive tasks without having some kind of a rest break. Joints, muscles and tendons will all be affected or damaged by any kind of repetitive work. Put this alongside the not uncommon stress suffered in workplaces, then there is a recipe for injury which can take long times to cure.

A typical job may entail the continual lifting, carrying and stacking cartons onto shelves positioned above head height. Or think about an obsessive weight lifter continually lifting weights above shoulder level. What would be the effect be of such repetitive use of the shoulder and neck muscles?

Repetitive Strain Injuries to Neck and Shoulder Muscles.

The neck and shoulder muscles are closely related and work together. In normal every day use they are in continual use without placing upon them the additional burden of having to carry extra weight on a repetitive basis. Repetitive strain injuries to these muscles are associated with –

-          Straining the two shoulder tendons by repetitive lifting of weighty objects.

-          Damage to the shoulder tendon which passes over the top of the shoulder, and provides the ability to lift the arm away from the side of the body.

-          Injury by repetitive movement of the other shoulder tendon which provides forward and upward movement can be sustained by repetitive lifting processes.

-          Since the neck and shoulder muscles work in conjunction, any effects on the shoulder muscles and tendons have an equal injurious affect on the neck parts.

-          Humeral Tendonitis is one such RSI easily sustained by the neck and shoulder.

Symptoms of shoulder and neck RSI include neck stiffness, headaches and muscle tightness.

Injury to the neck and shoulder muscles can often cause ‘referral pain’ Nerves on the shoulder can travel, and the actual pain from the shoulder/neck injury can become manifest in other body parts. This can often cause confusion for any doctor involved in diagnosing repetitive strain injury.