The Symptoms of RSI

RSI symptoms can vary tremendously and will depend upon the specific part of your body that has been injured. However, the general symptoms of RSI include:

• Stiffness.
• Pain, aching or tenderness in the damaged part of your body.
• A throbbing feeling.
• Tingling or numbness in the body.
• A weakness.
• Cramping.

These symptoms can appear mild at first but as you continue to work and carry out these repetitive movements, the pain and symptoms will increase. Without treatment, the symptoms of RSI can become constant and severely long-term. This can impact upon your ability to carry out your job and to function in day-to-day life.

Causes Of RSI

There are lots of different types of movements that can cause RSI. Lots of general strain injuries are related to manual jobs, like working on a construction site or in a factory. However, RSI can occur in office environments or other similar jobs.  These sorts of actions are commonly associated causes of RSI:

• Using a computer mouse or keyboard. 
• Working at a supermarket checkout, swiping items. 
• Grasping tools.
• Working on an assembly line.
• Training for sports, completing sports drills.

Cold temperatures while working and vibrating equipment (such as working with electric drills or saws) can also increase your risk of suffering from RSI. Any jobs that involve repetitive movements can lead to RSI and so you and your employees should be aware of how to minimise your risks.

Preventing RSI In The Workplace

Under the Health and Safety Act, all employers must carry out a risk assessment of any task or equipment that might cause them injury. This is because employers have a duty of care towards their employees. It doesn’t matter where or what you work as, you should be protected. In the workplace, you should:

• This could include adjusting your chair or raising your laptop (through getting raising equipment for your keyboard).
• Using your equipment correctly to reduce any potential strain.
• Taking regular breaks from your work to rest your hands.
• Varying your tasks as much as possible so that your hands go through a range of movements.
• Rotate the tasks that employees are doing throughout the day.

If you work with a computer or laptop, your employer must follow the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations.

If you feel that your employer is not doing enough to protect you, you should mention this to them. Furthermore, if you work from home and need adjustments, your employer may have a fund that allows for you to receive specialist equipment that reduces your risk.

You may also be interested in:

• Golfer's elbow
• Tennis elbow
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

Compensation For RSI Claims

The amount of compensation that you can claim for repetitive strain injury will be specific to the circumstances of your case. The amount of compensation that you will be awarded in your case will be determined by looking at two categories: general damages and special damages.

General Damages

General damages refers to the physical and emotional damage caused by your injuries or illness. In the simplest terms, it refers to compensation for pain and suffering. This type of compensation also covers any losses of amenity, aka a decrease in ability to function, that has arisen from the injuries/illness sustained in an accident or prolonged negative situation. To view estimates for personal injury types, visit our compensation calculator.

Special Damages

Special damages compensation refers to compensation that covers the financial losses and expenses incurred as a result of an accident or medical negligence. Special damages could help to reclaim a loss of income if you have been unable to work due to your food-related illness. Similarly, if you have had to pay to go to a medical appointment or if you had to pay to travel to a medical appointment, you could be able to claim these medical costs back.