Over time, a person’s muscles, nerves, and tendons may sustain damage when they’re subject to the same repeated movements. This damage is known as a repetitive stress or strain injury, which can affect the wrists, shoulders, knees, fingers, and many other body parts. There are many medical conditions associated with repetitive stress, including:
These conditions can cause a substantial amount of pain and affect a person’s flexibility when tissues swell. Over time, repetitive stress injuries can lead to more serious complications, such as bursitis and herniated discs.
While treatment can depend on the type of injury causing issues, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs often play a role during treatment. These include non-prescription medications like ibuprofen and aspirin. These drugs help relieve pain and discomfort, but they’re also affective at alleviating swelling.
When symptoms are more disruptive to daily life and associated with a higher degree of discomfort, steroid injections are the next course of action. Steroid medications are injected directly into the affected area to bring down inflammation and improve function. Doctors will also recommend additional treatments, like targeted exercise regimens and physical therapy, alongside medication.
While it’s true that some people with a repetitive stress injury experience significant discomfort, doctors generally do not provide stronger prescription pain killers, such as opioids. These drugs are associated with a high risk of addiction and dependence, a risk that increases when a person must take pain medication for an extended period. If repetitive stress injuries don’t get better with conventional treatment, your doctor may recommend surgery to remedy the issue.