You may have suffered from repetitive strain injury (RSI) before, perhaps if you have a job which has you performing the same movements over long periods of time, day in and day out. It can also affect people who frequently play certain sports, such as golf or tennis. Repetitive strain injury affects a variety of people and can be extremely painful.

What is repetitive strain injury?

Repetitive strain injury is an injury that results from performing repetitive movements or from overusing muscles and joints, particularly in the wrist. It can present itself in a number of ways including an aching pain, tenderness, numbness, cramp, and stiffness. Depending on the part of the body affected, the symptoms of RSI can be felt in the muscles, nerves, and tendons.

How can massage help?

Deep tissue massage is one of the best treatments to help relieve you of the pain caused by RSI and to help you heal faster. Tight muscles, ligaments, and tendons all contribute to the pain and stiffness that you feel during RSI. This can also reduce your mobility. Massage helps to relieve this tension and improve mobility, addressing the source of pain at the same time.

Increasing blood flow to the area through massage also helps the healing process by delivering increased nutrients and helping to flush out toxins more effectively. This can particularly help to relieve any inflammation caused by the injury. Massage also helps to break down any scar tissue which could be causing pain and mobility issues.

More prevention tips for RSI

Other than massage, there are certain things you can do in your daily life to help prevent RSI.

• Maintain correct posture – Whether you’re sitting at your desk all day or lifting heavy objects, proper posture is extremely important. Make sure your desk, chair, and computer are all at the right positions to aid this if you have an office job.
• Stretch regularly – Breaking up your regular, repetitive movements by stopping to stretch gives your muscles, tendons, and ligaments a break. Stretching can help to prevent RSI and also speed up the recovery process if you suffer from it.
• Get enough rest – Pushing yourself too hard in a workout or not taking enough breaks during the workday make RSI all the more likely. Make sure you take regular breaks and get plenty of rest each day.

If you suffer from repetitive strain injury, then talk to Moonstone Massage to find out how our massage therapy services can help you. Providing a variety of massage services around Winston Salem, Pfafftown, and Lewisville.