Aching forearms - RSI?

[Mile195]

For a while I have been having off/on issues with my forearms aching, especially my right. Using a computer mouse definitely aggravates it, and I've worked around it so that it hasn't caused me too many issues since last November when it started.

However, the last two weeks I've been doing a new job involving more computer use so it's becoming more difficult to rest it. Cycling, fortunately, does not seem to aggravate it, presumably because I ride on the shifters which keeps my hands in a fairly neutral position

The issue seems to be in the muscles, rather than the tendons and it feels like that "burn" you get when you're doing weights in a gym. Except it doesn't go away when I stop doing whatever I'm doing.

I went to see the doctor on Friday. As I expected he was most unhelpful and didn't give me any real diagnosis.

Has anyone ever had an issue with this? Is it likely to be RSI? I read online last night that sometimes the "fascia" around individual muscles can fuse together causing those muscles to work against each other constantly and apparently stretching can seperate them. But does anyone know which stretches I should be doing, for how long, and how often, and if this really does help?

Thanks in advance for any help. It's really making my days pretty miserable at the moment. I don't want to start popping painkillers if there's another solution so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Sharky]

Talk to your HR department. They would have come across it before and might have some suggestions. Touch screens, track balls, wrist supports, ergo mouse etc.

Good luck

 

[fossyant]

You need a work place assessment and may need your desk position looking at

 

[ColinJ]

Definitely make sorting this out a priority - one of my nieces developed a similar problem after using a badly designed workstation at a call centre. She now has a permanent disability in that arm.

 

[Mile195]

Definitely make sorting this out a priority - one of my nieces developed a similar problem after using a badly designed workstation at a call centre. She now has a permanent disability in that arm.

Sorry to hear that. That's concerning. Did she leave it quite a while to get help, or did it happen very quickly?

 

[velovoice]

That sounds exactly like Lateral Epicondylitis aka 'tennis elbow'. I've had it twice, recovering now from a particularly stubborn episode in my left arm brought on by repetitively turning my hand over and back under load (filing stuff in large, full lever arch files -- at speed).

Treatment is Rest, Ice and ideally a support strap or band.
Ibuprofen or Voltarol gel can help too.
Sports massage can help, especially if continued use (hopefully to a much less degree = rest) leads to pressure on any nerves.

Recovery takes about 6 weeks if you can rest properly and are vigilant with treatment, particularly ice.

Best to get right on some treatment as soon as possible, make adjustments to your working area if necessary but crucially also to the way you go about using you arms to do your work, at least until the inflammation has totally gone away.

GWS.

 

[ColinJ]

Sorry to hear that. That's concerning. Did she leave it quite a while to get help, or did it happen very quickly?

She complained about it as soon as she realised that there was a problem. She was pretty much told to shut up and carry on working, or look for another job. She got her union involved but they backed down when the company hired a team of expensive lawyers and said they would fight the case for as long as necessary, and would be seeking redress for their legal costs. So, she took the new job option. Unfortunately, she had carried on too long and worn out the sheaths that the problem tendons pass down.

When the problem first flared up, I thought she was exaggerating how bad it was until she took off her jacket and showed me the arm. It was very swollen and bruised, looking as though someone had attacked her with a baseball bat!

In her case, it was caused by having to use a keypad on a workstation. The keypad was at such a position in front of her that her hand was bent backwards when she was typing on it, a totally unnatural way of using the hand.

 

[Mile195]

Thanks for the replies so far. I went to see the doctor again last night (different GP). She has told me that it's very unlikely to be tennis elbow as there's no pain when she squeezes that area. She reckons the pain is originating from my wrist but this can make the whole arm ache. Im wearing a wrist support today but if it doesn't fix things i may try an elbow suport anyway - thanks for the links!
I've emailed HR (who is bascially 1 guy) to ask what we do about an OH assessment. Hopefully it gets arranged sooner rather than later.

 

[vickster]

See a Physio privately if needed. Do you have insurance through work?

I had lots of forearm pain with tennis elbow. Needed surgery in the end. Don't let whatever it is become chronic

 

[velovoice]

Tennis elbow hurts in the forearm, not the elbow. May sound counter-intuitive but it's all about the muscles that (a) attach by tendons to the elbow but (b) control all hand movements. It's called tennis elbow because the inflammation is in the tendon insertion point but the pain will be in the tight forearm muscles.

See a physio asap. Your GP is not qualified to diagnose or treat this (or indeed much of anything else involving muscles, joints or connective tissues).

 

[vickster]

My GP to be fair did diagnose my tennis elbow but she was pretty good with msk stuff. Sadly moved on to another practice.

Referred me to Physio who concurred. When his treatment didn't work, he referred me to elbow orthopaedic specialist (facilitated by private healthcare to be fair)

 

[Mile195]

OK, so I've had a consultation with a physio on the phone. It's affecting my whole arm, neck and shoulders now. However, she seems to think that it's tightness in all these muscles resulting in muscle fatigue.
I've been given a selection of stretches I have to do 3 times a day to loosen things up, with a follow up appointment in a couple of weeks. OH person coming to set up my desk properly Thursday.
Hopefully this will resolve things... watch this space...