Is it a Repetitive Motion Injury?

Whether you’re an athlete or have a job performing manual labor, you’re bound to do some things over and over. Repeated motions are a common occurrence for all sorts of people. Unfortunately, doing some of these movements day in and day out can lead to problems.

When you’re performing the same motion over and over, your muscles, tendons, and ligaments are put under significant stress and have an increased risk of injury. One day, you might find that moving your shoulder, elbow, knee, or wrist is met with stiffness and pain, even though you don’t recall injuring it. If the pain is located in a body part you use a lot every day, there’s a good chance you’re suffering from a repetitive motion injury.

These injuries are extremely common and can be quite painful, but they are largely treatable with rest and other therapies. Once your injury has been diagnosed, relying on Ideal Spine’s holistic approach to wellness, Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP), may put you on the path toward healing and being able to use your body properly once again.

Identifying repetitive motion injuries

A repetitive motion injury, also known as a repetitive stress injury, is caused by gradual damage to a muscle, ligament, or tendon due to overuse. In most cases, the injuries develop because the patient performs the same or very similar movement many times a day, every day. This is why this type of injury is so common in athletes and laborers.

Repetitive motions cause small tears in the tissue, which can worsen over time. If you are consistently performing the action that worsens the tears faster than the body can repair them, you may experience inflammation and pain.

The symptoms of repetitive motion injuries usually include pain, stiffness, reduced range of motion, numbness, weakness, swelling, and redness in the affected body part. Pain may only be present when you perform the repetitive motion at first, but the pain may begin to persistent the worse the injury gets.

To determine whether you’re experiencing a repetitive motion injury, consider whether the painful body part is used in a repetitive motion for your job or hobbies. Also consider the symptoms and how they progressed – was the pain acute, or did it build slowly over time? If it was the latter, and you’re using the body part frequently for work or play, it’s likely that you’re dealing with a repetitive stress injury and should see a doctor.

Treating repetitive stress injuries with chiropractic

Repetitive stress injuries can be temporary or permanent – it depends on the severity of the injury and the damage that has been done before treatment begins. For this reason, you’ll want to reach out to a professional as soon as possible to ensure you begin your path to healing right away.

Activity modification may be necessary, especially in the beginning when the injury needs the most time to heal. Depending on your injury’s severity, you may need to stop doing the motion that caused the injury entirely. Rest, ice and heat application, and stretching may help alleviate some of your symptoms.

In addition to these methods, chiropractic may make a valuable contribution to your repetitive motion injury treatment plan. Chiropractic care can potentially offer multiple benefits, including pain relief and improved mobility.

Your chiropractor will determine the appropriate techniques based on your injury and its severity. However, they typically utilize tissue massages to loosen tight muscles and relieve cramping, stretches to work on range of motion and alleviate stiffness, and physical therapy to increase muscle strength and stability. Spinal adjustments may also be useful; this treatment can potentially improve your joint’s range of motion and rectify improper alignment, which may be causing a chain reaction that worsens your injuries.

If you’re dealing with what you believe is a repetitive motion injury, contact a chiropractor trained in the CBP approach by Ideal Spine. Our providers target the problem at its source for the greatest chance of healing and symptom alleviation.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.