What are other types of Repetitive Stress Injury?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, while being the most common,
is only one type of Repetitive Stress Injury. There are three
basic categories of RSI:

Repetitive Stress Injuries involving nerves: Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, ulnar nerve compression
at the elbow and wrist
Repetitive Stress Injuries involving tendons, muscles and soft
tissues: bursitis, myositis, rotator cuff tendinitis, tendinitis
including “tennis elbow” ganglion cysts, DeQuervain’s disease
and trigger finger.
Repetitive Stress Injuries involving the vascular (blood vessel)
system: Raynaud’s syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome.

The following charts summarize the most common types of RSI and
their symptoms.

Bursitis
Other Names
Primary Area Affected	Shoulder, Elbow
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Grinding sensation, Pain or irritation, Restricted motion.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Other Names	CTS, writer’s cramp, occupational neuritis, partial thenar atrophy, median neuritis
Primary Area Affected	Wrist & hand
Type	Nerve
Symptoms	Tingling, pain or numbness in the area of the hand served by the median nerve– the thumb, the pointing finger, the middle finger and the half of the ring finger closest to the middle finger. Sensations also occur in the palm and back of the hand. In more advanced CTS, the pain can be excruciating. Symptoms often are more severe during sleep.Loss of sensation, notably a feeling of clumsiness and loss of sensitivity to hot and cold.

Ganglion Cyst
Other Names	Bible bump
Primary Area Affected	Wrist
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Bump or concentrated swelling.

Golfer’s elbow (Medial epicondylitis)
Other Names	Tendinitis
Primary Area Affected	Inside of the elbow
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Pain or irritation on the inside of the elbow, often radiating down the arm.

Raynaud’s syndrome
Other Names	Raynaud’s phenomenon, Raynaud’s disease, Vibration syndrome
Primary Area Affected	Hands and fingers
Type	Vascular
Symptoms	Unusual sensitivity to coldPale white or blue hands, particularly following exposure to coldOccasional tingling or numbness. Can lead to loss of sensation & control

Rotator cuff tendinitis
Other Names	Superspinatus, tendinitis, subdeltoid bursitis, subscromial bursitis, partial tear of the rotator cuff
Primary Area Affected	Shoulder
Typ	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Pain, sometimes intense, or irritation in the shoulder.

Tennis elbow (Lateral epicondylitis)
Other Names	Tendinitis, bowler’s elbow, pitcher’s elbow
Primary Area Affected	Outside of the elbow
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Pain or irritation on the outside of the elbow, often radiating down the forearm.

Tenosynovitis
Other Names	Tendosynovitis, tendovaginitis, tenovaginitis, peritendinitis
Primary Area Affected	Any tendon
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Pain or irritation, particularly while using the hand or armSwelling can occur.

Stenosing tenosynovitis
Other Names
Primary Area Affected	Any tendon
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Pain or irritationCan result in uneven movement of fingers (see Trigger finger).

De Quervain’s Disease
Other Names	De Quervain’s syndrome, De Quervain’s disorder
Primary Area Affected	Side and base of thumb
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Aching in affected area.Weakness in thumb.Loss of muscle tone (muscle atrophy).

Trigger finger
Other Names	Stenosing tenosynovitis crepitans
Primary Area Affected	Forearm
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Pain in the forearm or wrist.Snapping or jerking movement of one or more fingers.Rattling or crackling sound in hands or wrists.

Tendinitis
Other Names	Tendonitis
Primary Area Affected	Forearm, elbow, shoulder
Type	Connective tissue
Symptoms	Pain or irritation, particularly while using the hand or arm.

Thoracic outlet syndrome
Other Names	Neurovascular compression syndrome, hyperabduction syndrome, cervicobrachial disorder, brachial plexus neuritis, costoclavicular syndrome
Primary Area Affected	Shoulder, arm, hand
Type	Neurovascular
Symptoms	Tingling and/or numbness in the fingers and hands.Weak hands.Atrophying muscles in the hand. Pale or bluish hands (as in Raynaud’s syndrome). Arm pain. Chronic tired arms.

Ulnar nerve compression at the elbow
Other Names	Cubital tunnel syndrome, cubital outlet syndrome, cubital canal syndrome, beer drinker’s arm, telephone operator’s arm
Primary Area Affected	Elbow, forearm, hands
Type	Nerve
Symptoms	Tingling, pain or numbness in the area served by the ulnar nerve, particularly the little finger and the half of the ring finger closest to the little finger, as well as on the ulnar side of the hand and forearm. (The ulnar side is where the little finger is.) The sensation can be more severe at night.Hand weakness.

Ulnar nerve entrapment at the wrist
Other Names	Guyon’s canal syndrome, Guyon’s tunnel syndrome
Primary Area Affected	Wrist & hand
Type	Nerve
Symptoms	Decreased hand strength