Testing For Repetitive Strain Injuries

Repetitive Strain Injury, or RPI, is a group of conditions occurring due to repeated movements made in the course of using a computer keyboard or musical instrument or other such actions. Even though the source of inflammation connected with cumulative trauma hasn't been made clear, numerous things, such as mechanical fatigue in the ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues may be involved.
Differential diagnosis depends upon the site of the inflammation and it includes the diagnosis of Achilles tendon injuries, tendonitis, Ankle degeneration, Acromioclavicular degeneration, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Anterior cruciate laxity, Gamekeeper's thumb, Elbow degeneration, Neck pain, Knee degeneration, Shin Splints, Suprascapular nerve compression, and tendinopathy. Carpal Tunnel is a very well known problem. Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Injury, or TFCC, is injury of a little, cartilage-like area in the joint of the wrist. Symptoms include pain on the wrist's ulnar side, a clicking sound, and reduced grip power. Osteonecrosis of the lunate bone in the wrist in those with systemic sclerosis will also result in wrist pain. Osteonecrosis represents a significant reason for wrist pain, more so in scleroderma patients. A positive test for scaphoid compression confirms the presence of the fractured scaphoid in those with no visible fracture in the first x-ray studies.
A definitive test for scaphoid instability is the scaphoid shift test, which uses pressure against the scaphoid tubercle. The compression of the median never at the wrist is the cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), or median neuropathy, this can lead to pain in the hand. Some cases of carpal tunnel syndrome are caused by repetitive activities, while occur without any known cause. There remains a correlation between a painful dorsal wrist ganglion and wrist joint abnormality, but the exact cause of the dorsal wrist ganglia is still a medical mystery. Scaphoid fractures and dynamic scapholunate instability are both injuries that can happen to the scapholunate ligament. The scapholunate ligament stabilizes the palmar rotation force of the scaphoid against the dorsal rotation force of the lunate and maintains the proximal pole of the scaphoid adjacent to the lunate.
To diagnose a syndrome such as De Quervain's tensynovitis (where tendons in your thumb become inflamed and swollen, greatly limiting movement of the thumb), an x-ray of the bone will be needed. These x-ray images can help a doctor determine the appropriate diagnosis and subsequent treatment of joint pain in the hand or wrist.
It is not known just how widespread these intercarpal ligament injuries are or how they begin, but Scapholunate injuries have often been seen in conjunction with distal radial fractures. Injuries or the occurrence of rheumatism in the distal radius often precedes the discovery of distal lunate joint instability which has resulted from dysfunction of the distal radio-ulnar joint. The hamate bone has been found to be fractured in 2% of all carpal fractures resulting from sports injuries.

By: Frank Barnett

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Repetitive Strain Injuries are especially common among information workers, who work at a computer for long hours. Often, RSIs can be avoided by following a few simple ergonomic rules.