"I have struggled with repetitive strain injuries in my hands and forearms for several years and have tried a number of treatments to alleviate my conditions. Some of them worked and some didn't. I don't believe there's miracle cure; however if you follow the advice and treatments below you should find some level of pain relief. RSI is different in everyone and it is difficult to explain. It is also difficult to get over and it may take years. What is important is that you listen to your body and try different treatments to see how you get on.
Here is my advice: • Take this injury very seriously. I have currently trained over 300 people that have had been affected by this condition. • In the beginning stop all typing until your body has recovered sufficiently to start again. This may take many months. Once your hands/arms have recovered introduce the keyboard again very gradually. Start at 15 minutes a day for a week, if you hands or arms start hurting stop immediately. • Learn a new skill like speech input, this will allow you to continue typing hands-free so that you can communicate with your work colleagues and friends. It is a positive thing that will not hurt your hands. It is such a liberating tool for RSI victims! • Stay positive, this injury is awful and can be very disabling, watch the depression it can easily sneak up on you. • Learn how to relax your upper body. Try running a hot bath and add some muscle relaxant salts and notice how your arms feel after 45 minutes of soaking yourself in it. • Try using ice if your elbow or wrists feel hot and sore, the ice (or bag of peas) only needs to stay on the affected area for around five minutes. You need to learn whether you body needs heat or ice. • Cut down on coffee and alcohol. Drink more water! • Find a good deep tissue massage therapist, this is key if you wish to recover substantially: Massage helps loosen muscles and increase circulation. You should be able to tell after one appointment if this therapy is going to help you. Your hands and arms should feel significantly better the next day. If you see someone who doesn't manipulate the muscles in your back and shoulders as well as your hands and arms then move on and find a deep tissue massage person that does. • Learn how to self massage the tightness and knots out of the muscles in your hands, neck and back. Once you get better you can start to use your own hands to massage yourself. Watch and learn from your deep tissue massage therapist and copy what they do. Recommended therapist: Mark Robertson (Beechwood Practice, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK ). He is a deep tissue massage therapist who has experience with helping RSI victims. • See a good physiotherapist, they will show you exactly what muscles are involved in your RSI and teach you how to stretch. Learning to stretch correctly is very important and if you want to get better then you are going to have to perform them daily. The Cambridge Physiotherapy Clinic, Cambridge, UK have a number of therapists who have experience in treating people with RSI. Apart from treating your condition they should show you how to stretch. Practice these stretches daily and build up your own set of stretches that work for you. I still stretch every day, whenever I can. Stretch a lot and build your own set of stretches that work for you! • Be careful when it comes to painkillers such as Ibuprofen and other sources of pain relief. In my opinion masking the pain and continuing to type will just cause further injury. • Tai Chi is good and makes you very aware of the muscles in your arms and upper body. If your arms/hands tingle while you practice Tai Chi moves do not worry. This is your muscles relaxing, you will feel better in the morning. • Try the the The Alexander Technique. • Get exercising to get the blood circulating, walk,run or cycle and when you are better start pumping some light weight. Join a gym but DO NOT DO ANYTHING THAT HURTS, listen to you body. • When you are able to type for more than one hour or so it is very important you take a keyboard break every 15 minutes or so. Good Luck !" | 
