Adieu, mouse arm! – Therapy of RSI syndrome
The RSI syndrome is becoming more and more common in our society, but to date it is not yet a recognized occupational disease in Germany. It is becoming an ever-increasing importance for us humans as a result of the increasing digitalisation of our lives and the constant monotonous strain on the arms and hands of many people at work and at home.
However, to date there is no significant therapy for RSI syndrome that addresses the causes rather than the symptoms.
In this article you can read how to treat and eliminate mouse arm causally, simply and quickly and how these new practical findings were arrived at.
Repetitive Strain Injury – injury caused by repeated strain
RSI syndrome (repetitive strain injury syndrome) is caused by constantly repetitive, similar movements and can affect the hands, arms, shoulders, neck and upper back. These permanent, monotonous movements often lead to a pathological condition, even to the point of disability.
Mouse arm, a typical representative of this syndrome, can already be described as a modern widespread disease. Chronic RSI syndrome is difficult to cure.
There are a large number of RSI syndromes in a wide variety of occupations and activities. Some of them are mentioned here:
- Web designers, programmers, secretaries (mouse arm);
- Teachers (chalk arm);
- Painters, hairdressers;
- Professional drivers;
- Musicians (pianists, violinists);
- Athletes (runner’s knee).
Mouse arm therapy today
At present, mouse arm is usually treated conservatively. Often only painkillers, massages or physiotherapy are prescribed. The most important treatment for mouse arm is a change in working conditions. [1]
However, these measures are more likely to serve as pain relief and prevention than to eliminate the cause. Useful measures such as an ergonomically designed workplace, gymnastics and exercises for the muscles also serve as prevention.
Cause of RSI syndrome
In my opinion, the same, constantly recurring, similar movement leads to a change in the centring of one or more joints due to an unevenly developed musculature: the ratio of extensors to flexors, of internal rotators to external rotators.
New therapeutic approach
I have developed a treatment procedure for RSI syndrome that has proved successful in practice:
- In my opinion, the problem lies in the centring of the joint. Therefore, a joint or several joints must be centred, and in a certain order. This is the decisive factor.
- The muscle imbalance that leads to this decentration must then be balanced by appropriate muscle work. Otherwise the success of the therapy will only last for a short time. To do this, the overloaded (too strong) muscles must be stretched and the overstretched (too weak) muscles must be strengthened.
Practical implementation
For the treatment of RSI syndrome, it is not insignificant with which link in the chain the treatment is started. A certain sequence must be observed when centring the joints. Otherwise the therapy will not be successful. It has been found that the order in which the joints are centred is different for different RSI syndromes, i.e. for different occupations or activities.
In particular with the mouse arm: first the carpal bones are set in a certain order, then (if necessary) the elbow and then the shoulder. If this treatment is carried out correctly, the pain in the second rib, which is a typical symptom of mouse arm, immediately subsides. If it is done correctly, the second, painful rib will “come on its own”, i.e. it will set itself out again!
A manual therapist naturally does this using a simple method of manual therapy. A masseur knows that massage with movement (functional massage) centres joints. This would be the method for the masseur. An instructor in therapeutic physical culture can achieve joint centring through pure muscle work, e.g. with the PIR technique or Dorn therapy.
After the joint has been centred, however, it is very important that the muscle imbalance is treated and eliminated and, if necessary, pathological movement patterns in the performance of the occupation or activity are eliminated.
When treating muscles, we first stretch the overloaded muscles that are shortened and then strengthen the overstretched muscles that are too weak. For example, with the mouse arm, it is primarily the extension and not the flexion that needs to be trained, i.e. not the internal rotation but rather the external rotation, because the body tends to a certain position.
The following muscle treatment must therefore be carried out for mouse arm: The overloaded flexors of the hand are too strong, these shortened muscles are first stretched passively or actively through exercises. Initially, 2–3 minutes several times a day. After stretching, the antagonists, the extensors, which are too weak and overstretched, are strengthened. Such an exercise for strengthening while extensing would be, for example: opening the fingers of the fist against resistance.
Each RSI syndrome naturally has its own system of muscles that are in disharmony with each other. It is just a matter of finding out which muscles are overloaded and which are overstretched. A masseur, instructor in therapeutic physical culture, physiotherapist, doctor, alternative practitioner or representatives of similar professions with biomechanical training are able to do this, it is part of their basic training. Everyone has suitable methods for strengthening and stretching muscles.
We also know that we can only mask pathological movement patterns through correct movement patterns, through constantly many repetitions. Every physiotherapist, masseur or doctor therefore has the tools of the trade from their practice.
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Es In my opinion, it makes sense to learn certain principles in the treatment of RSI syndrome in further training so that these can then also be applied to all other diseases that affect RSI syndrome. This applies in particular to the correct order in centering the joints for the various RSI syndromes. We are happy to share this new knowledge with you.
The discovery of the therapy for RSI syndrome described here was accompanied by the development of my methodology of causal therapy of the postural and musculoskeletal system.
I have been successfully applying my method of treating and eliminating the causes of mouse arm and other RSI syndromes in my practical work for several years. Many satisfied patients can confirm this to you.
If you would like to find out more about this small discovery in medicine, contact us with confidence.
Source:
[1] Mausarm – https://www.netdoktor.de/krankheiten/mausarm