The increased incidence of RSI (repetitive strain injury)

The last few months have seen an exponential increase in the number of patients referred to my clinic with RSI (repetitive strain injury). This certainly relates to the fact that we are now working long periods from home, usually typing or using a mouse with a computer while adopting poor posture and ergonomics.

However, RSI may also be associated with certain jobs such as working at a supermarket checkout, at an assembly line  or with sports such as tennis and squash.

[attach id=910914 size="medium" align="right" type="image"]RSI is associated with jobs that require working for long periods and using a computer mouse, coupled with poor posture and ergonomics. Photo: Shutterstock.com[/attach]

RSI is not a new disease. It was first described more than 300 years ago. Today it comes under different guises: BlackBerry thumb, iPod finger and PlayStation thumb, for obvious reasons.

RSI may affect the muscles, joints, tendons or nerves mostly of the upper limb and is caused by excessive or repetitive movements or from overuse and vibration. Psychological stress and monotony can worsen the symptoms.

It may affect the shoulder and neck, but more commonly affects the elbow, wrist and...