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It is a common belief among sufferers of RSI and their medical advisers that one of the best treatments to reduce the pain of hands and arms, where the condition has been caused by actions such as using a computer keyboard, is to rest the affected area, however, some researchers are now wondering if this is suitable for all.
Around five million working days are lost annually in the UK due to work-related arm pain, often diagnosed as tennis elbow, tendonitis and repetitive strain injury.
It is not clear why some people develop these conditions and yet others engaged on similar tasks do not. Symptoms, which usually worsen gradually, can include pain, tightness, a dull ache, throbbing, numbness or tingling in the affected area.
Depending on the severity of the problem, current treatments and advice include a course of anti-inflammatory painkillers, referral for physiotherapy and, where possible, adjusting the workplace environment if this will help ease the onset of the discomfort. Steroid injections may be used in severe cases of inflammation as in carpal tunnel syndrome and tenosynovitis.
It might seem obvious to stop or reduce the activity appearing to cause the onset of the problem but there is also a school of thought which suggests continuing gentle movement may be beneficial in maintaining use of muscles and ligaments.
This idea was being explored in a clinical trial in 2011 organised through Aberdeen University and sponsored by Arthritis Research UK. It was hoped a definitive answer might be provided as to whether patients should keep active or rest the affected part of the body while waiting to start a course of physiotherapy.
The team was also expected to investigate whether starting physiotherapy as soon as possible after diagnosis was more beneficial than delaying for up to two months.
Part of the investigations was likely to compare the results of recent advances in treatment for spinal conditions and back injury whereby the traditional remedy of complete rest is being replaced with a programme of continued gentle exercise to restore the full use of muscles and ligaments in as pain-free a manner as possible.
Quicker recovery and return to health and employment plus a regime for avoiding a recurrence may mean not only an improvement to the wellbeing of a sufferer but also fewer calls for compensation as a result of disablement and an inability to resume work.
Because prevention is always better than cure, as soon as an employer's attention is brought to the possibility of an employee suffering from a work-related injury such as RSI he must take action to reduce the risk of further harm or could face a claim for compensation from the sufferer.
Specialist solicitor for RSI claim
RSI personal injury claims affecting office workers with keyboard-related hand and arm pain have become more widely publicised since the 1980s when computers came into greater use throughout the world and, in some instances, employers and workers were slow to realise the inherent medical problems caused by repetitive movements.
Cases continue to come to light and the services of a specialist solicitor, such as those who work with YouClaim, may be needed to achieve a just damages settlement.
All our industrial injury lawyers, who have the highest professional standards, will explain the procedure for making a claim in plain English.
No only that, but in most instances, a claim can be pursued under the no win no fee system, meaning that every penny of compensation won will be yours to keep without deduction.
If you or a loved one have been affected by RSI, you can find out more about YouClaim's UK-wide service by completing the online claim form on this page, starting a webchat or calling a member of our helpful legal team on 0800 10 757 95.
