March 15, 2009
Same old strain
Gamers, musicians and office workers are getting into a world of pain from using the same muscles repeatedly
By Cheryl Tan
All play and no rest temporarily incapacitated inventory executive Zaieri Saad.
Last month, he stomped non-stop for eight hours on his Sony PlayStation 3 Rock Band game drumset, which caused his left thigh and shin muscles to swell badly. Worse still, his leg joints were so stiff from the exertion, he found it difficult to walk the next day.
Fortunately for the 38-year-old computer game fanatic, the pain and stiffness subsided after a few days, so he did not need to see a doctor.
If he did seek medical attention, a doctor might have diagnosed him as having Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI), a condition that develops when repeated force is applied to the same muscles.
Experts say it is commonly seen in hardcore gamers as well as office workers who are desk-bound for many hours at a stretch.
Full-time musicians are also prone to the condition.
Local ensemble T'ang Quartet's founding member Lionel Tan (right) announced he was taking an indefinite break because of worsening muscle strains.
The viola player will perform his last gig with the quartet on April 20 at the Esplanade Recital Studio. His former student, Oh Han Ling, will replace him.
When contacted, Tan, 43, refused to talk about his condition as he said it was 'still under medical investigation'.
But he did say RSI could be a cause of his medically advised leave.
According to Dr Peng Yeong Pin, National University Hospital's head of hand and reconstructive microsurgery, 75 per cent of musicians complain of muscle- tendon pain.
Those who play string instruments usually feel pain and cramps in the forearms, fingers, elbows, neck, jaw and shoulders.
This is due to the rapid movement of the hands when playing the instrument, along with having to support and cradle it for a long time in a fixed position, Dr Peng says.
For office workers who suffer from RSI symptoms such as numb fingers, sore wrists and stiff necks after long stretches in the office, take note of the ergonomics of your work station, advises Dr Tan Jee Lim, consultant orthopaedic sports surgeon at JL Sports Medicine and Surgery at Gleneagles Medical Centre.
He says 'the increased hours on the computer at work and popularity of gaming' has led to an increase in the number of people suffering from the condition.
'The evolution of the modernised workplace with people stuck in a stationary position for long periods worsens the problem of RSI,' he adds.
Every month, he diagnoses about 10 to 15 such patients, most of whom are white-collar workers.
In less severe cases, Dr Tan prescribes rest and, if necessary, painkillers and physiotherapy. He also advises patients to change how they sit at work and how their arms are placed when they type or use a mouse (see box).
Other experts say cold packs can be used in the early stages of RSI to reduce pain and inflammation.
Ms Sharon Seah, Changi General Hospital's senior occupational therapist, warns that treatment for RSI should be sought as soon as possible.
'Some RSI conditions, if left untreated, can result in irreversible damage,' she says.
By that, she means chronic inflammation and degeneration of tissue.
In a month, Ms Seah sees about 50 administrative staff and housewives for the condition. For housewives, the cause of RSI is usually due to household chores.
She says with adequate rest and treatment, even acute cases of RSI will show improvement within six to eight weeks.
Still, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. RSI can be avoided by taking regular breaks and doing stretching exercises, say Singapore General Hospital's senior principal occupational therapists, Mr Patrick Ker and Ms Therma Cheung, who see about 40 new cases of RSI patients a month.
This piece of advice is something concert cellist Loke Hoe Kit already heeds instinctively.
He limits his daily practices to just two consecutive hours a day. And he stops as soon as he feels a 'sharp pain' in his bow arm and soreness in his wrist and upper forearm.
The 21-year-old says: 'You feel like you can't control your instrument as well as before. You need more effort to create the same note quality.'
GOOD WORK POSTURE
Proper ergonomics at your work station are important to keep RSI at bay, says Dr Tan Jee Lim, a consultant orthopaedic sports surgeon.
His advice:
§ Make sure your table height allows your elbows to comfortably rest on the table.
§ To prevent elbow strain or neck ache, your forearms should rest comfortably on the table as you reach to use the keyboard and mouse. Do not put your keyboard in a pull-out drawer under your desk. There is no elbow support and this can cause shoulder and neck aches.
§ Your legs should be rested on the floor instead of being suspended.
§ Sit all the way into your chair so that your spine rests on the back of the seat. Do not hunch over your desk.
§ Stretch after a few hours. This helps to relieve tension in overworked muscles.
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