Effective Solutions for Repetitive Strain Injuries
Have you been dealing with an old pain or injury that doesn’t seem to get better no matter what you try? Have you heard you should rest or use ice to help your injury but found it didn’t help and may have made it worse? At Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services in Stevenson Ranch, CA, our occupational therapists will help you find the relief you’ve been looking for!
Our occupational therapists are highly trained at pinpointing the source of your pain/injury and implementing proven strategies to help you resolve it. Our team stays up-to-date on the advances in disorders affecting the upper extremities to ensure we implement research-backed treatments to provide quick, lasting relief.
A growing body of evidence points to how to effectively treat repetitive strain injuries through a proactive approach focusing on modifying and adjusting the volume of work on the injured tissues. Too often, people persist with ineffective treatments because they were told years ago to use them, despite the lack of results.
Trying to resolve all pain and injuries with the old ineffective treatment strategies can lead to poor results and frustration for the people experiencing them. Fortunately, our team of occupational therapists at Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services in Stevenson Ranch, CA use research-backed treatments to achieve the best possible outcome!
Request an appointment today to get to the root of your problem and return to recovery!
What are repetitive strain injuries?
Repetitive stress/strain injury describes an injury caused by repeated microtrauma. It is a chronic type of injury versus an acute injury caused by a specific or single event. The injury is usually gradual and related to the volume of repetitions or improper techniques repeated over an extended period.
Repetitive strain injuries can be challenging to identify because there is rarely pain early on and because the traumas are so minor (aka microtraumas). Over time the repetitions interfere with the body’s ability to repair these microtraumas adequately, and eventually, the tissues are overloaded, resulting in an injury.
Repetitive strain injuries are related to muscular imbalances, poor techniques, limited flexibility, excessive mobility, and training errors. Fortunately, our therapists at Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services are highly experienced at identifying all the factors influencing your condition and implementing proven techniques to resolve them once and for all!
How to ensure you resolve your repetitive strain injuries
Occupational therapists are skilled at translating the clues your body sends to alert you about an injury or a potential injury. Often the signs and symptoms like pain or impaired mobility are ignored, or people try to push through them, only to find themselves in an even worse predicament.
Doing too much or too little can lead to persistent pain and injury. This is why getting help from our skilled occupational therapist is so important!
Recent research has indicated that RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation)is not the most effective way to resolve repetitive strain-type injuries. For example, rest may worsen the condition and can make the tissue more susceptible to future injury. This is especially true with tendon injuries related to repetitive stress.
In addition, there are some indications that ice does not help the recovery process and may delay recovery. Blood flow is essential for proper repair and healing, so using ice to slow blood flow may actually interfere with this process and delay your recovery.
The ingredients our body needs to repair injured tissue depend on adequate blood flow, and movement is one of the most effective ways to increase circulation. Research has found that those who begin moving the injured part sooner have shorter recovery times and faster returns to activity.
Avoiding movement and icing is no longer considered the most effective strategy to achieve optimal outcomes. At Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services in Stevenson Ranch, CA, our occupational therapists can help get to the root of your condition and design a program tailored to your individual needs! The bottom line, movement helps tissue to heal and recover faster.
What to expect at your Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services occupational therapy visits
At Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services, our therapists will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine your condition and design a program to address your specific needs. Our specialists understand that delicate balance between doing too much too soon and not doing enough.
We will guide you through mobility and strengthening exercises to restore your function. We will incorporate targeted manual therapy and design custom splints and bracing to eliminate pain and ensure progress.
Our specialists will guide you through the lesser-known components to successfully treat repetitive strain injuries, including:
- Assessing and modifying improper or incorrect training techniques
- Correct form with activities
- Ensuring you are fitted and using equipment properly
- Recommending adequate sleep for recovery and injury prevention
- Encouraging compression to enhance circulation and minimize any swelling
We will take a proactive approach by designing a structured exercise program to ensure you get the results you have been looking for and prevent any future episodes!
Request an appointment today!
Most repetitive strain injuries are related to a gradual tissue breakdown or a degenerative process, not an inflammatory response typical of an acute injury. At Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services in Stevenson Ranch, CA, our occupational therapist knows how to distinguish the type of injury you are dealing with and, more importantly, how to resolve it!
Call today to request an appointment with one of our specialists and get on the road to recovery!
Sources:
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Overuse_Injuries_in_Sport?utm_source=physiopedia&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=ongoing_internal
- https://thesportjournal.org/article/the-r-i-c-e-protocol-is-a-myth-a-review-and-recommendations/#:~:text=So%2C%20today%2C%20RICE%20is%20not,process%20is%20unequivocally%20a%20myth.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5339266/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210518114214.htm
- https://www.aota.org/