RSI complaints

What is RSI?


RSI is a widespread problem. Complaints arise by repeating prolonged straining of muscles and joints. This is precisely what RSI means: repetitive strain injury. RSI complaints are treated by the chiropractors of chiropractic MoveWell. Treatment is not the only thing a chiropractor is concerned about. How to avoid complaints is also an important part. Together the patient and the chiropractor work out exercises and posture improvements to avoid straining activities.

RSI klachten chiropractie

What causes RSI?


Prolonged repeating of the same activity can lead to physical complaints. We call this RSI. Recently a new term has been used to describe this kind of complaint: KANS (Klachten aan de Arm, Nek en Schouder). This is Dutch and stands for Complaints on the Arm, Neck and Shoulder. But in this text we use the commonly known term RSI.

In order to explain RSI complaints we use an example. Working with a mouse at a computer is a light effort. But when doing this, you use the same muscle and joint over and over again. These tissues can get overloaded. Muscles and tissues need nutrition and have to release their waste. If the repetitive movement causes more irritation or damage than the body can heal themselves, it results in a complaint. The blood in the muscle has trouble flowing and the muscle gets more irritated. In the end the result is a lot of very little micro injuries who will all together lead to the proverbial last drop: pain. After that every act, like a simple click on the mouse, will be too much and painful.

RSI Symptoms


RSI complaints build up gradually. The complaints can occur in the shoulder, neck, arm and upper back. Usually you experience the complaints as a tingling or cold feeling, but also as stiffness or pain.

Typical RSI complaints:

There are more names for the same complaints. Typical RSI complaints (or KANS complaints) are:

  • Golfer’s arm/ Golfer’s elbow (see the elbow page)
  • Tennis arm/ tennis elbow (see the elbow page)
  • Mouse arm/ computer arm
  • Gameboy thumb/ and other complaints on the fingers: an overall name for complaints like a whatsapp finger and sms thumb. But there are also other names for these kind of complaints.
  • Neck and middle back complaints

Chiropractic treatment

The chiropractor will examine the complaints and figure out which of them is an increasing factor. The focus will be on work related activities and your work posture. Of course the posture in general and other daily activities could increase the complaints which leads to RSI. The chiropractor will try to improve the complaints with advice on better posture and exercises to strengthen the muscles.

The chiropractic treatment will focus mainly on moving better with the irritated muscles and joints. The chiropractor will use mobilizing techniques which create a better flow of blood through the muscles and better movement in the joints. This will lead to recovery.