RSI stands for Repetitive Strain Injury. It is a condition caused by repetitive, often small movements, such as typing or using a mouse. These constant repetitions, often under high pressure, overload the nerves, tendons, joints and muscles. In the 1990s RSI was a well-known phenomenon, especially among people who spent a lot of time at a computer. Thanks to greater attention to good office furniture, the importance of good sitting posture and taking enough breaks, the number of RSI patients has fortunately fallen since then.
But the condition has certainly not disappeared. RSI is common among people who work at screens, but also among butchers, musicians, checkout staff and assembly-line workers. And with the arrival of mobile phones and tablets, we now also have the ‘swipe finger’, ‘WhatsApp finger’, ‘texting thumb’, ‘tablet shoulder’ and ‘tablet neck’.
Nowadays we no longer speak of RSI, but of KANS in Dutch: complaints related to the arms, neck and shoulder. The English term is also widely used: CANS: Complaints of Arms, Neck and/or Shoulder. Here we use the terms RSI and CANS.
RSI/CANS develops gradually. It usually starts with a stiff finger or a painful wrist. At first these symptoms disappear at the end of the working day. Over time, however, they get worse: the pain becomes more intense, the stiffness persists, the fingers may feel cold and there may even be loss of strength. The symptoms also remain when, for example, you are no longer at the computer. At this stage you also experience the symptoms in daily life. Something as simple as buttering a slice of bread can be painful or even impossible because of the loss of strength.
In the final stage the pain is constantly present, including at night, and the (wrist) joints may swell and even become discoloured. The sooner you seek help for your symptoms, the greater the chance that you will be completely free of them.
Not everyone develops RSI/CANS. It is often a combination of factors that determines why one person develops serious symptoms and another does not. What are the risk factors for developing RSI/CANS?
• Activity
Repetitive movement and working in one position for long periods (= prolonged tensing of the same muscle groups) are clear risk factors. Think of journalists who have to write an article under pressure to meet a deadline, or a violinist who has to practise for hours for an important concert. When work pressure is high and there is too little room for breaks and changes of posture, symptoms can develop. So try to build in as much variety as possible.
• Person
Physical factors such as height, weight and fitness also influence the chance of developing RSI/CANS. A tall person will need to pay extra attention to setting up their workstation and equipment correctly. But personality traits such as perfectionism, finding it hard to say no, and the way someone deals with stress also play an important role in developing, or preventing, RSI/CANS. A perfectionist will have higher muscle tension while working than someone who sets lower demands on themselves or is better at guarding their limits. Continuous muscle tension can eventually lead to overload.
Treatment of RSI/CANS always starts with an intake, in which the osteopath asks about the nature of the complaints, the patient’s medical history, lifestyle and previous treatments. Often the patient has already been treated by a GP and physiotherapist, but the complaints have not gone away.
After the intake the osteopath will examine the wrist, arm, neck and shoulder, but also the rest of the body, to see how the mobility of muscles, joints and organs is affecting the complaints. Sometimes the cause of the RSI/CANS is not in the wrist but elsewhere. The osteopath will certainly pay attention to the mobility of the spine, chest and abdomen to see whether the reduced mobility and blood flow originate there. Once the osteopath has found the cause of the reduced mobility, treatment will focus on restoring that mobility. The body will then heal itself and the pain will usually ease.
The osteopath will also advise you on any adjustments to your lifestyle, (working) posture or the way you deal with stress.