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REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURIES - WHY DO THEY HAPPEN?

Repetitive strain injuries may occur with any kind of job or activity, whether you are sitting at an office desk, chopping wood or shoveling snow. The repetitive nature of a motion causes an accumulation of micro tears in tissue which may not heal. This over load, or fatigue, causes tissue breakdown and unwanted pain and decreased function develop.   

Our neuro-muscular-skeletal system is designed to tolerate a certain amount of physical stress. Micro tears in our body tissue are normal after daily activities, work and play. Tears may occur undetected with no pain but generally there is a sufficient oxygen rich blood supply to the tissue that creates a normal overnight healing process. Repetitive activities elicit physical stresses that exceed the body’s tolerance level and overnight healing is prevented. Typical signs and symptoms are swelling, loss of motion and strength along with possible numbness and tingling. 

With any activity or job there are a variety of risk factors that may contribute to the development of repetitive strain injuries. These risk factors rarely act alone but interact to cause or aggravate a condition. The longer and more frequently one is exposed to a risk factor the higher the probability a repetitive strain injury will develop. Risk factors may be associated with the occupation itself such as sustained postures or tools utilized. Environmental factors such as temperature, lighting and vibration factors may also contribute to a condition in addition to a category of risk factors related to work schedules and work/ rest cycles.

You may ask your self why you now have a repetitive strain injury after 20 years with no change in a job or activity. An individual’s capacity for work and play is determined by the individual’s ability to store energy. The amount of total energy stored by a body is related to energy intake, fitness level and age. Your body tissue needs a certain amount of energy to perform its daily activities, anything outside of just existing dips into a reserve tank. If the reserve energy is dipped into too often it can be depleted leaving an inadequate energy available to perform daily functions as well as healing and tissue regeneration. Repetitive activities dip into the reserve tank, decrease the body’s healing capacity and muscle weakness develops along with injuries such as a tendonitis.

Sadly, as we age our body’s ability for energy storage naturally decreases and there is less energy available for our basic existence and therefore less in our energy reserve tank for additional activities such as work and play.  The good news is that our fitness level is crucial to our energy storage and the depth of our reserve tank. 

The effects of aging may be off set by maintaining a high level of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal fitness.  As life become more sedentary and convenient it requires extra effort on our part to improve our fitness level.  An important point to remember with any effort to increase the performance, strength and tissue tolerance, not only is a well designed exercise program essential, but rest and recovery are vital for the body to recharge the reserve energy tank. 

Repetitive strains require a favorable environment to heal. Reduction in the intensity of the job or activity is a start but not the final answer. Stopping the activity will not prevent injury reoccurrence once the activity level is resumed unless changes are made to the job site or the individual’s energy level. The job/ activity site should be evaluated for potential risk factors that contribute to the condition and the individual will need to take a close look at how they nurture their energy storage capacity through their fitness level, quality of their food intake and time for recovery.