At BIOKINETIX, we offer actionable tools that employers can use to help employees avoid repetitive stress syndrome and empower them to live more active, productive lives, both in the workplace and in their approach to exercise outside of the workplace. We do this by providing ongoing education at work sites and offering white papers that explore our science-backed methodologies and the research behind them.
This white paper explores repetitive stress disorder and gives examples of repetitive stress injuries. It also discusses how repetitive stress injury treatment through “resetting” can help address habitual movement patterns that cause it. Download our white paper for free to learn more about preventing repetitive strain injury. Enjoy our abstract, frequently asked questions and sample below.
Abstract:
Repetitive stress syndrome remains one of the most consequential health risks facing today’s workforce, from industrial workers to musicians. The repetitive movements demanded by specific job tasks affect musculoskeletal function and the circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems.
One of the best ways of preventing repetitive strain injury involves reciprocal inhibition: When a muscle contracts, the muscles on the other side of the joint relax automatically. Resetting, or strengthening the muscle groups opposite the ones repeatedly used, is an effective way to protect the body from repetitive stress.
How Does Repetitive Stress Syndrome Impact the Body?
Repetitive stress adversely affects the health and function of various bodily systems in several ways. It impacts each employee’s performance while diminishing their overall health and wellness. Some of the affected body systems include tight muscles, poor posture, inflamed tendons, and nerve impingement.
What Happens to the Body After Repetitive Stress Injury Treatment?
Resetting muscles by treating repetitive stress syndrome allows the body to reduce damage from repetitive movements and prevent further overuse injuries. It does so by lengthening repetitively used muscles, thereby effectively alleviating tightness.
Reducing tightness and restoring balance allows treatment to lower inflammation and improve blood circulation in those with repetitive stress disorders. Ultimately, this approach revitalizes the body’s ability to perform tasks efficiently and ensures employees do their jobs without pain or discomfort.
Examples of Repetitive Stress Injuries
Repetitive stress syndrome can take many forms and impact various parts of the body. Some of the most common examples of repetitive stress injuries in the workplace include:
- Trigger Finger: Inflammation of the tendons in the fingers.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Caused by repetitive wrist motions.
- Tendonitis: Inflammation of a tendon, typically occurring in the elbow or shoulder.
- Rotator Cuff Injuries: Damage to shoulder tendons due to overhead activities or repetitive lifting.
Recognizing and understanding these work-related injuries facilitates the prevention of repetitive strain injuries in organizations.
White Paper Sample:
Musculoskeletal disorders and repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) are some of the leading causes of occupational injury in US businesses, along with hundreds of thousands of days away from work per year [1]. In the past several decades, there has been a significant increase—not only in the US but worldwide—of reported repetitive stress syndrome in the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands. This phenomenon dates back to the growing use of computers, CNC machinery, and related technology in the home and workplace that requires the user to engage in repetitive motions [9].
RSIs are characterized by overuse of the tendons and muscles through repetitive motion. This is mainly due to the repetitive movements that are demanded of people to perform specific physical tasks, which are often accompanied by poor posture; for example, sitting at a computer or using mass production machines not only involves the repetitive movements of the hand and arm required to type and navigate but also remaining in a fixed (and most likely a non-neutral) posture while doing so. Repetitive stress syndrome subjects the body to various adverse effects, including the shortening or tightening of muscles, the inflammation of tendons, the impingement of nerves, and the inhibition of the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids.
Additionally, RSIs have the potential to impact the quality of life. From carpal tunnel syndrome to back pain and rotator cuff injuries, repetitive stress disorders pose a very real obstacle to performing physically intensive job tasks and even the ability to complete daily activities if left unchecked. When a worker’s ability to perform these tasks is diminished due to repetitive stress syndrome, it means more downtime inside and outside the workplace. To combat the effects of RSIs and prevent repetitive strain injury, repetitively used muscles must be “reset” …
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