The majority of the working population has heard of Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs), and it's no wonder why. These ergonomic disorders account for over 50% of illnesses reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and are the fastest growing category of work-related illness. RSIs are the most common and costly occupational health problem in the nation. Depending on the source, it is estimated that employers spend between 20 and $80 billion annually on worker's compensation for RSIs. They spend another $100 billion on lost productivity, employee turnover, and indirect expenses. Employees suffering RSIs are subject to financial, physical, and psychological devastation. Clearly the body is vulnerable these injuries at work, but that doesn't mean they are not easy to prevent.
What RSI is
Repetitive Stress Injury is an umbrella term for several disorders and goes by many names. Repetitive Strain Injury, Overuse Injury, and Cumulative Trauma Disorder are common terms describing the same thing. They are cumulative traumas resulting from prolonged repetitive, forceful, or awkward positions, particularly those that use fine muscles (like in the hands and wrists.) A few examples of RSIs include: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, Tennis/Golfer's Elbow, and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
What Happens in the Body
Each body - male or female, strong or weak, large or small - responds to physical stimuli the same way. Fine muscle movements (that are repetitive, forceful or awkward) put strain on muscles and tendons, which eventually cause microtears in the tissue. The body's response to the tears results in muscle contraction, minimizing the range of motion of that muscle/joint. Without time to rest, the sheaths covering the tendons lose lubrication and are therefore chafed with activity. The body's response to this is inflammation which may cause the neighboring nerves to become impinged. Very simply, as the body tries to adapt to the stress placed on it, it is more vulnerable to injury unless given sufficient time to rest and recover.
Additionally, it has been found that there are tissue-level changes associated with repetitive stress. Studies are currently being conducted to determine whether the chemical reaction involved in repetitive stress leads to damage of the muscle fibers through activity-generated free radicals.
The result is pain, numbness, tingling, hypersensitivity to touch, weakness, and/or limited range of motion. The sensations can range from annoying to debilitating; the latter being likely if nothing is done to alleviate the pain and eliminate the cause.
How Bad is it?
The median amount of lost work time per injury is 18 days. Consider the severity and cost of something that would keep a person from working for 3-4 weeks. By the time physical symptoms of RSI surface, there is already significant damage to tissues. Continuing to injure the area not only affects a person's livelihood, but also daily functions. Carrying, grasping, chopping, bending, and manipulating objects become painful and lead to feelings of frustration and helplessness. Chronic injuries can lead to depression and quality-of-life issues as well. RSIs may seem insignificant but actually impact many areas of life.
Risks and Prevention
The physical stresses that place people at risk for developing RSIs are looked at in conjunction with other risk factors. This is considered an ergonomic issue; workstations are commonly found to be the cause of RSIs. In addition to performing forceful, repetitive or awkward movements, other risk factors include:
Poor posturePoor body mechanicsInfrequent breaksLack of regular exerciseHigh-pressure work environmentsStressful, sedentary, or otherwise unhealthy lifestylesOverweightLack of sleepLack of awareness (Not paying attention to or dismissing signals from the body that there is a problem.MorePreventing RSIs should happen immediately, even if problems don't yet exist. As mentioned earlier, by the time physical symptoms arise, the damage is already significant. Ensure that posture is neutral and not strained, workstations are set up according to the height and capabilities of the individual worker, and allot enough time for breaks. Outside of work, maintaining as healthy a lifestyle as possible will help the body recover and be fit enough to perform and heal at its optimum potential. Failure to prevent RSIs can become financially and physically disastrous very quickly. In some cases, the injury is severe enough to force an employee to leave his job. Even if he is awarded compensation for the injury, this situation can be devastating.
Given the frequency of RSIs reported and paid for each year, it is obvious that an astounding number of jobs pose risks for developing a Repetitive Stress Injury of some kind. While employers and insurance companies prefer to avoid the cost of these situations, employees themselves have a lot on the line. This all sounds like common sense, yet RSIs remain the most common job-related health issue in the U.S. What will you do to spare yourself from being a part of this statistic?
Jacob Cummings is the National Sales Manager for PHS West, Inc. He has been with the company for 11 years. PHS West Inc manufactures customized material handling carts and electric tugs for a variety of applications including medical supply carts, cart movers and endoscopy carts. Jacob has written a variety of articles on work related injuries and ergonomics. More articles on Work Place Injuries.
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