Take steps to stay pain-free

Your musculoskeletal system includes the bones and muscles that help you move. Doing the same motion day after day can be hard on your body, and can strain your musculoskeletal system.

Have you ever felt numbness in your hand or a sharp pain in your arm or wrist? It could be an injury from repeating the same motion. Repetitive motion injuries (RMIs) usually affect the hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders. Strain causes tiny tears in your muscles and tendons. When the tears can’t heal as fast as they are being made, the area becomes inflamed and painful.

Keeping motion injuries at bay

You can prevent RMIs from happening and reduce symptoms. Here are a few tips:

• Take frequent breaks. Stretch and give your body time to rest.
• Adjust your chair and desk so you’re sitting in a natural position.
• Keep an upright posture. Avoid leaning forward or backward more than you have to.
• Use a splint to lessen pressure on the muscles and nerves.
• Put ice on the affected area.
• To relieve soreness and pain, try yoga or Pilates. In some cases, physical therapy can help.