RSI

What is RSI?
Repetitive strain injuries occur from repeated physical movements doing damage to tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft body tissues. Occupations ranging from meatpackers to musicians have characteristic RSIs that can result from typical tasks they perform. The rise of computer use and flat, light touch keyboards that permit high-speed typing have resulted in an epidemic of injuries of the hands, arms, and shoulders. Use of pointing devices like mice and trackballs are as much a cause, if not more so. The thousands of repeated keystrokes or long periods of clicking and dragging with mice slowly accumulates damage to the body: another name for the condition is cumulative trauma disorder. This can happen even more quickly as a result of typing technique and body positions that place unnecessary stress on the tendons and nerves in the hand rest arms and even shoulders and neck. Lack of adequate rest and breaks and using excessive force almost guarantee trouble.

Symptoms:
Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows
Tingling, coldness or numbness in the hands
Clumsiness or loss of strength in coordination in the hands
Pain that wakes you up at night
Feeling a need to massage your hands, wrists and arms
Pain in upper back, shoulders, or neck associated with using the computer

Reference: Paul Marxhausen  website: http://eeshop.unl.edu/rsi.html