Stress from Repetitive Motions
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI), or repetitive motion injuries, are injuries in movable body parts associated with repeated actions, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compressions, and sustained or awkward positions. It is also known as repetitive motion disorder (RMD), cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), overuse syndrome, occupational overuse syndrome, and regional musculoskeletal disorder. As the name suggests, these causative diseases are induced by neuronal stress, ischemia, edema, and microscopic axonal injury, leading to impaired nerve conduction and irreversible nerve damage.
Typically associated with sports, RSIs are believed to be among the leading causes of peripheral neuropathy. It generally involves chronic sport-specific stress on the peripheral nerves, usually in the upper extremities, nerve injuries from stretching and nerve compression, muscle hypertrophy, and adjacent soft-tissue injury. Because it is typically associated with sports injuries, the RSI-induced nerve injuries resulting in peripheral neuropathies may be tricky to diagnose because of the overlap of symptoms related to sports-induced musculoskeletal pathology.
Some RSI diseases that may lead to peripheral neuropathy include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and bursitis.
