Last year, a study commissioned by Acuvue
found that office workers in the UK spend 1,700 hours a year working on a
computer. They will spend an average of 6 and a half hours a day sitting at
their computer or laptop, with many also admitting that they did not take
sufficient breaks from their workstation. It’s no surprise that repetitive
strain injury claims are on the rise.
With repetitive strain injury blighting the
UK population more than ever, steps can be taken to either prevent or improve
symptoms. Leading repetitive strain injury expert Dr Emil Pascarelli states
that, as long as you treat it early, you should be able to recover fairly
quickly. However, it is important that you address your symptoms as soon as
possible because ‘if you let the condition progress, you’ll never be the same
because of deep tissue scarring…it’s not like a broken bone that mends; the
soft tissue is subjected to micro-tearing, and the tissue that replaces it is
scarred and more susceptible to injury. So, often, people fall into a vicious
cycle of injury and re-injury.’
What are the symptoms?
Some symptoms of a repetitive strain injury can include:
- Burning, aching or shooting
pains in your limbs - Weakness or loss of grip in
your hands - Stiffness and tenderness in
your arms, hands or legs - Cramp and pain in the affected
area - Tingling and/or numbness in
your hands or fingers
What can I do to make improvements?
It’s important to try and make yourself as
comfortable as possible at your workstation and avoid slouching in your seat or
typing incorrectly. The NHS has suggested limiting the number of keystrokes
that you have to use on your computer or on a portable device with predictive
text. Slowing down the speed that you use your mouse can also improve any
potential RSI injuries. Make sure that you are using a desk chair that
appropriately supports your back and won’t cause any back pain in addition to
RSI in your hands and fingers.
The risk of carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal
tunnel syndrome is a more specific repetitive strain injury and can
ultimately involve very painful surgery if you do not prevent and treat any
symptoms at an early stage. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that occurs
in your wrists and is the result of pressure being forced onto the median
nerve, which is a major nerve that is located inside your wrist. It can be
caused by frequently bending your wrist, gripping hard or using vibrating work
tools. In order to avoid the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome worsening, you
may have to wear supportive hand splints while carrying out tasks that
aggravate your symptoms.
Which jobs are most at risk of developing RSI?
Office workers are not the only people who
are susceptible to developing repetitive strain injury. Another job role that
could put you at risk of a repetitive strain injury is being a factory worker
who perform repetitive tasks on a production line and has to remain in a
difficult posture for a long time.
If you feel that you developed a Repetitive
Strain Injury, it is best to deal with your symptoms as soon as possible in
order to avoid them worsening. If you feel that your employer has put your
health at risk because of negligence, you could be able to make a claim with
the help of expert industrial
disease solicitors that will help you along with your recovery.
