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If You Think You Have RSI

If you think you have symptoms of RSI there are a number of things you should do. The most important is to stop doing whatever it is that is causing the symptoms and not to try to work through the pain. Find out as much as you can about RSI and don’t rush into hasty decisions before you are fully informed.

At work

First, you should contact your trade union safety representative if you have one. They have legal rights to take up health and safety problems with the employer and can press for changes to be made to reduce the risk of RSI. They can also provide you with other helpful advice about what to do. If you are not in the union yet you should join so that you can get this vital support.

You should make sure that you record the full details of your symptoms in your employer’s accident book. Employers are required by law to have one so don’t be fobbed off .And don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t record it because it’s not a real accident. If it is work related it should go in the book and the entry will be vital evidence in any future claim.

You should also report the symptoms in writing to your supervisor so long as you think this will not result in disciplinary action and ask for any changes to be made to your work or workstation that will help minimise the problem. Ask to be given alternative work, or to be able to rotate jobs or to be allowed to take regular rest breaks if necessary.

If there is an occupational health department at your place of work report your symptoms to them. A good occupational health department should not only give you medical advice but should investigate your job to identify and remedy the risks.

Ask whether your employer has carried out a risk assessment for the work you do and check whether RSI risk factors have been identified and any remedial action taken. Your employer has a legal duty to carry out risk assessments and you should insist on this. You should also ensure that the risk assessment is revised in the light of your problems.

Seek advice about how to adjust your workstation to suit you if you haven’t been given this information.

At the doctor’s

You should report your symptoms to your GP as soon as possible, describing the work you do, any repetitive tasks or awkward postures, how long you spend at the work etc in as much detail as you can. Don’t feel guilty about taking up their time - it’s important to give as much information as possible. It can be helpful to write out beforehand, or get someone else to do it for you, a note setting out type of job, hours worked, posture involved, symptoms, any treatment successful or otherwise. This will help create more time for you to ask the questions you want. A written record could also be importnat in later proceedings.

If your GP says that it’s all in your mind or you’re just being neurotic don’t just accept it. Show the doctor this book and any other information you can get hold of and insist on being referred to a specialist. You should ask to be referred to a physiotherapist, preferably one that has been trained in specialist RSI techniques.

Be cautious of any diagnosis which suggests your condition is arthritis. This is a common mis-diagnosis amongst GPs who are not very well informed about RSI and you may be prescribed completely inappropriate treatment. A blood test can confirm rheumatoid arthritis so ask for one if this is your GP’s initial diagnosis. RSI does not show in such tests.

Remember that drug treatments only relieve the pain and do not treat the cause of the injury. You should not return to the same work while taking pain-killers as this may make the condition much worse.

To be prescribed complete rest may not be at all helpful particularly if you return to the same work at the end of it. Most people probably need only a short period of complete rest to be followed by gentle exercises to keep the injured part mobile. Referral to a physiotherapist for assessment will help to identify an appropriate treatment programme. The important thing is not to undertake the activities that caused the problem or any that are similar.

At the DSS

You should go to your local DSS office to obtain details of the benefits that are available and how to claim them. Further information on DSS benefits is set out in Chapter 9.

At home

You will need as much support as possible from family and friends especially if your condition has reached the chronic stage. Make sure that they understand the nature of RSI and what to expect from you by showing them this book. Although they may be sympathetic to begin with there may be times when tempers may start to get frayed, particularly when you have no visible signs of injury and they can’t understand why you are unable to do some seemingly simple household task.

You may find it useful to get in touch with a local RSI support group (see Chapter 12). The RSI Association publishes an information pack which is full of advice for sufferers including suggestions for simple aids to make everyday tasks easier to cope with as well as advice on dealing with doctors. It has also produced an information sheet giving advice on setting up a support group if there isn’t one in your area.

Joining the local support group can be a very positive thing to do . Don’t be put off by the idea that it is full of people comparing symptoms and feeling depressed. Most groups are extremely active in campaigning for better understanding of RSI, for better health care provision and for improved benefits. Some run telephone helplines and/or drop-in centres and some have produced their own RSI information packs. Many collect information about which local doctors are sympathetic to RSI and whether there are specialist physiotherapists in the area, which they are then able to pass on to members of the group.

There is also an RSI group on the Internet which you can use if you have access to this technology.

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