My RSI

People often ask me about my RSI and I think it is helpful for others to know how it started, and what I have done to try and get better. Remember that every case of RSI seems to be different, although they may appear similar on the surface. Therefore some of the things that I have tried may help you, or even make things worse. It is definitely advisable to ask the opinion of your doctor before trying any of the following out.

My problems began back in the summer of 1993 when I was 23 years old. At the time I was working as an IT contractor for an organisation in central London. Shortly after coming back from a summer holiday I was given the urgent job of sorting out a spreadsheet. I began to notice pains in my hands and elbows after a period of intensive typing. They came on suddenly and within a few days I was having difficulty typing at all. I went to my GP (doctor) and he suggested a wrist rest. Tried this - no good. He then referred me to a neurologist. After a couple of months wait I turned up for my appointment. The neurologist was adamant that I did not have RSI but he couldn’t tell me what the problem was. In the meantime I had given up work and taken up a place at University in Manchester to study computer science.

Fortunately, with my new life I was using a keyboard far less than before. Over the months that followed, the pain I had been suffering diminished to the point that it was no longer a problem. The next two years were generally almost totally pain free until ...

During the summer holidays in 1995 I did some vocation work, again in IT. One day I used a keyboard very heavily and awoke the following morning with extreme pain and numbness in my hands, shoulders and back. I gave up this job and the following month went back to university for my final year.

But the pain showed no signs of improving. I immediately went back to the doctor. Over the next nine months I saw many doctors and specialists. I had a barrage of tests - electrical, blood, x-rays and even a bone scan, but these showed up nothing wrong. One doctor was adamant that RSI didn’t exist and practically accused me of wasting his time. I was told by another that I *only* had an over-use injury and I should just stop doing whatever hurt. I don't believe that any of them realised just how crippling RSI injuries can be and that it *always* hurt! Fortunately the University, my friends and family, were as supportive as the doctors were not and this at least kept me going. And I tried doing some Alexander technique lessons and these did help somewhat.

By the time that I had graduated nine months later, things were as bad as ever. After speaking to a local RSI sufferer, she recommended that I see a physiotherapist who was very experienced in treating RSI; he had even suffered from a form of RSI himself. I saw him for about six months, and started a full stretching programme. Things did improve slightly; my range of movements within my muscles and joints improved, but it made little difference overall. I started yoga (which I think is helpful), and did as much activity and exercise that I could manage (a good policy as far as I'm concerned but it is vital to ensure that you have good muscle balance first). This included gym (mainly cardiovascular exercises) and some occasional swimming. I did also try getting back into work. Some of the jobs - all temporary - went OK others were probably damaging; it's difficult to know why. In the end I did a job working at servicing PCs, part-time, but within two weeks the pain had got so bad that I had to give it up; very regrettably. I was back in agony again and I probably reached my lowest point then.

I went on to try chiropractic (only helpful in the short term), deep tissue massage (not really very effective but nice all the same), and plenty of drug therapies from my doctor. I also had spinal injections (not helpful) and acupuncture (only two sessions which did not help) through the local hospital pain clinic. I had to wait 4 months for the appointment so I felt very disappointed with all my experiences of the NHS by this time. Subsequently I did more acupuncture privately without sucesss. About this time I got chucked off the benefits system - the doctor assessing me didn't believe men could get RSI! With hindsight I think I should have appealed, but as anyone who has been through this knows, it can be an incredibly depressing experience. It makes you feel totally worthless and the disability system is biased against RSI. Your disability is graded on a points system based on the things you could do. The trouble is, I could do most of the things on the list, I just couldn't do them very often or for very long.

I also saw a couple of other physiotherapists including one who uses a power assisted manipulator (PAM). The PAMs machine certainly looks like an interesting development, but there are only a few in existance, and it didn't convince me of its benefits in treating RSI. And not forgetting magnetic bracelets (no good). During this time I began writing the book and developing this website - it gave me something to focus on (very important).

A year or two on from this I finally got back into work again. I decided to explore the possibility of becoming an IT trainer and began by doing voluntary work teaching disabled students. I then got a part-time job for a training company. It didn't last and my RSI was still very much a problem, but it was a start.

After more unemployment I am now teaching disabled people again - this time paid and full-time. I have now been doing this for over two years. I was lucky to find a physiotherapist who is extremely hot on posture and muscle misuse, and she helped me strengthen areas that needed it. I believe that for diffuse RSI (i.e. RSI that affects many areas of the body), regaining muscle balance is the best long-term objective. I do Pilates classes (excellent but incredibly boring) and the exercises help me improve strength in the postural muscles, especially the abdominals. I do still get bad days, sometimes very bad days, but I can do much more than before. Hopefully year by year things will continue to improve without any serious relapses. It is a very long and slow journey.

I sometimes attend the central London RSI support group meetings. Meetings are held on on the last Tuesday of each month (except Dec), from 1815 to 2100, at the Lucas Arms, 245A Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8QZ. Click here for a map. Support groups, both locally and those on-line, are useful places to meet and discuss experiences. Unfortunately in March 2004 the National UK RSI Association went into liquidation although there website is still available with a great deal of info - check out my links page for details.

I hope that some of this is of help, and also a warning to anyone not affected. Although most people improve nobody really totally recovers from RSI. Prevention is much better than cure. If you have RSI you need to be positive and persevere. It's even possible that some good may come out of it.

Take care and remember those breaks!

David, Sep 2006