Repetetive Strain Injury (RSI)

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Repetative Strain Injury (RSI)


RSI, or Repetative Strain Injury, most commonly damages the arms, wrists, shoulders, back and neck. It's caused by repeated motions, extremes of motion and excessive force, which over time, strains the soft tissue. When the soft tissue is strained, after a while, the can become tiny tears in in the muscles and tendons, which can escalade and cause permanant tissue damage and disability. Repetitive strain injuries develop slowly over time; and are also called Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTD) or Muscular Skeletal Disorders (MSD).

RSI is easy to prevent but very hard to cure. To prevent RSI you should take some extra precautions: break up your typing with frequent rests, preferably a 1 minute break every 20 minutes. The palms of your hands should be parallel to your keyboard and your forearms should be horizontal. Your wrists should be flat and level while typing. Having a chair with armsrests might be one of the most helpful things to maintain a healthy computer work station environment. By adjusting the armrests on your chair so that they are level with your desk you can take the pressure off your shoulders and help to make a stressless pose. It is best to get seen early by a doctor if there is any inclination that you might have RSI as trying to ignore the problem may result in serious injury to your muscles, nerves, and tendons.

Correct keyboarding and posture have everything to do with RSI. By being able to correctly keyboard and be in a strainless position you almost diminish any chance of getting RSI. By slouching in your chair when you type, you strain your back and you also strain your arms by having to reach the keys every time you go to type. By sitting with your back perfectly straight, the muscles in your back are not strained.

The proper typing technique is also extremely important. While typing, your fingers should be in a straight line with your forearm. Your wr...