Orthopedics Sports Injuries Overuse Injuries Understanding Repetitive Stress Injuries Millions of People in the United States Are Affected By Carol Eustice Carol Eustice Facebook Carol Eustice is a writer covering arthritis and chronic illness, who herself has been diagnosed with both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Learn about our editorial process Medically reviewed by Stuart Hershman, MD Medically reviewed by Stuart Hershman, MD on January 18, 2020 LinkedIn Stuart Hershman, MD, is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery. He is the director of adult spinal deformity & complex spinal reconstruction at Massachusetts General Hospital and is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Learn about our Medical Review Board on January 18, 2020 Print Repetitive stress injuries include a large group of conditions that primarily affect the soft tissues, including the nerves, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Repetitive stress injuries are caused by repeated motions performed in the course of normal work or daily activities. Repetitive stress injuries are also called cumulative trauma disorders, repetitive motion disorders, and overuse syndromes. Repetitive stress injuries can include: Carpal tunnel syndrome Bursitis Tendinitis Epicondylitis (tennis elbow) Ganglion cyst Tenosynovitis Trigger finger Science Photo Library / Getty Images Causes Repetitive stress injuries are caused by: too many uninterrupted repetitions of an activity or motionunnatural or awkward motions such as twisting the arm or wristoverexertionincorrect posturemuscle fatigue Common Sites of Injury Repetitive stress injuries occur most commonly in the: handsfingersthumbswristselbowsshoulders Repetitive stress injuries can also affect the: neckbackhipskneesfeetlegsankles Signs and Symptoms Repetitive stress injuries are often characterized by: paintinglingnumbnessvisible swelling or redness of the affected arealoss of flexibility and strength of the affected area Some people may have no visible sign of injury, although they may find it hard to perform usual tasks. But, over time, repetitive stress injuries can cause temporary or permanent damage to the soft tissues in the body, such as the: musclesnervestendonsligaments Repetitive stress injuries can also cause compression of nerves or tissue. Who Is Affected Typically, repetitive stress injuries affect people who perform repetitive tasks, such as: assembly line workmeatpackingsewingplaying musical instrumentscomputer workcarpentrygardeningtennis Treatment Options Treatment for repetitive stress injuries usually includes reducing or stopping the motions that cause symptoms. Repetitive stress injury treatment options can also include: taking breaks to give the affected area time to rest adopting stretching and relaxation exercises applying ice to the affected area to reduce pain and swelling using medications such as:pain relievers corticosteroids NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) splints may be able to relieve pressure on the muscles and nerves physical therapy may relieve the soreness and pain in the muscles and joints In rare cases, surgery may be required to relieve symptoms and prevent permanent damage. Some employers have developed ergonomic programs to help workers adjust their pace of work and arrange equipment to minimize problems. Prognosis Most individuals with repetitive stress injuries recover completely and can avoid re-injury by: changing the way they perform repetitive movementschanging the frequency with which they perform themchanging the amount of time they rest between movements. Without treatment, repetitive stress injuries may result in permanent injury and complete loss of function in the affected area. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 0 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. NINDS. Repetitive Motion Disorders Information Page. Last modified July 11, 2013.