Repetitive strain injury or repetitive strain r injury is a fairly common injury last year over half a million people suffered from some form of repetitive strain injury .the fact we use computers and keyboards for increasing more time is adding to the problem increasing.

We also have become a bunch of couch potatoes with people also getting repetitive strain injury from using their thumbs to text continually or using remote controls.

So what is repetitive strain injury?

This is the term previously given to damage to muscles, nerves, tendons, and tendon sheaths or other soft tissues resulting from overuse or misuse usually in the upper limbs. The lower limbs, back shoulders and other parts of the body however, can also be affected. Unfortunately the term does not conform to conventional criteria for the description of disease and this can lead to confusion - particularly if litigation is contemplated

Physical signs may be imprecise or absent, the word 'strain' is not used in its true mechanical sense - but in a lay sense - and 'injury' suggests a single culpable event.

However, the term 'RSI' has wide understanding in lay circles and the RSI Associations do valuable work for their members and it is reasonable that the term continues - if only to prevent it being replaced by something equally imprecise and providing the qualifications to its use are appreciated.

You would not expect to get compensation for texting your friends or being overindulgent with the remote but what about work related repetitive strain injury.

There are lots of ways the work place can cause repetitive strain injury that you could possibly sue for compensation if you use a key board a mouse any form of equipment or action a lot at work and don’t get breaks, if you have poor seating to desk ( It might be sensible to suggest that your employer calls in an ergonomist to make an assessment of your workstation and the way you work) or if you if you repetitively do some action that causes you to continually use certain muscles and tendons it is this over use that causes the repetitive strain injury

What is interesting is that bad posture or just luck can mean two or more people doing the same repetitive action may not get the same result when it comes to repetitive strain injury.