If you believe you have a repetitive stress injury (RSI), here are some things you should do.
- Talk to your health care professional. Don’t just assume you have a repetitive stress injury! Some can be tricky to diagnose — like when I thought I had carpal tunnel syndrome but didn’t.
- Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. Talk to a chiropractor, personal trainer, ergonomic specialist, or massage therapist. Let someone who has a different perspective chime in.
- Figure out what is causing the pain and stop doing it. Many repetitive stress injuries can be fixed by removing the source of stress! Give your body a few days to rest — dealing with a small problem now could save you from dealing with a huge problem in the future.
- Learn appropriate stretches for your problem area. Stretching can help keep your whole body healthy! Gently stretch all the muscles in the problem area, then all the muscles between that area/joint and the spine. Everything’s connected. If you can’t stretch, try a gentle massage. Try to stretch at least six times per day.
- Don’t just buy a brace and keep going. Unless your doctor tells you to wear a brace, a brace isn’t going to fix the problem. There are no quick fixes at the drug store! Some braces can actually cause more damage if they are used incorrectly.
- Listen to your pain. Pain is the body’s way of saying that something is wrong. Don’t just take aspirin and keep going.
- Track your pain. Make note of what you’re doing when you experience pain from an RSI. This will be helpful for your doctor in making a diagnosis and in tracking your progress as you recover.
- Talk to your health care professional about appropriate ways to manage your pain. Maybe it’s painkillers. Maybe it’s stretches. Some things that feel good (like a heating pad or a hot bath) can actually increase inflammation that may be causing pain.
- Train yourself into new, healthy habits. They say it takes at least three weeks to make a new habit — so be patient with yourself!