Repetitive strain injury can result in a fair amount of pain that can quite possibly even last for hours after the repetitive motion has ceased. If left untreated, you run the risk of incurring permanent damage; and you may possibly require surgery or physical therapy in order to relieve or manage the pain.

Those involved in office work or in manufacturing lines and warehouses are at the greatest risk of developing RSI simply because of the nature of these types of jobs and how they can require you to perform the same bodily movements for hours on end.

Most recently more and more companies have become proactive in preventing repetitive stress injuries by giving people more breaks during the day, providing them with proper job environment ergonomics, so the employee can perform their jobs while maintaining proper posture and range of motion.

With RSI, it is performing the same motion for longer than two hours at a time that eventually causes swelling, pressure, and pain. This type of injury has become more defined in the era of the computer but has long been around with people involved in moving or stocking items, loading items, and assembly line work.

RSI is perpetuated in people who suffer from poor posture, poor typing techniques, and inadequate body support while working on the computer. Poor posture can result in pain being felt in many areas of their body. Individuals who have high stress jobs, work long hours, or perhaps are required to overproduce are also at a higher risk.

There are, however, many preventative measures available to ward off these problems. The easiest and most common, is to take frequent shorter breaks from your workstation and use this time to stretch and relax the parts of your body that are involved in the repetitive motion.

As with any health risk, prevention is the biggest key. It is much easier to prevent the onset of a repetitive strain injury than it is to recover from the pain and swelling or even the damaged body tissue.

Once a person has begun suffering from RSI, they may have to take time off from their job (and lose productivity) or even have surgery. This is unfortunate because in most cases RSI can be effectively avoided just by simply making some simple changes to the work environment and work habits of the individual.

Being aware of the risks and what causes RSI can go a long way toward the prevention of the pain and possible injury. Prevention of any repetitive stress injury should be the primary goal when it comes to the workplace environment.