RSI – Repeat Strain Injuries

The subject on Muscle Injury has many layers, here is a common type of muscle injury we discuss in detail in our Myofacilitation Courses.

Leslie Williamson, Senior Lecturer.

The most common muscle injury that occurs over time and often not considered, nor recognised as important, until it’s too late, is in fact; ‘Repeat Strain Injury’ (RSI).

This type of injury stimulates an enormous amount of compensation in a particular region first, then it spreads like wildfire, through the body, setting up dysfunctional muscle groups as the body is forced to cope with the imbalance.

Our horses and dogs’ unique survival mechanisms are truly amazing when tapping into the responses of the nervous system in order to keep going and avoid unpleasant aids just to please us. Something to think about when your horse or dog is persistently finding a physical exercise difficult to do, ask yourself……

“if it was me, why? What else could help you?”

When muscle groups are strained, the horse, dog or human simply shorten their strides, because the ability to achieve full range of movement (R.O.M) is restricted by the tight and painful muscles not allowing the sensory stretch receptors in each muscle belly to relax in between muscle contractions.

We are forced to do more (shorter) strides to avoid further tearing the tight contracted muscle fibres.
When any pain is felt, we can push past the pain by getting our adrenalin up. Horses and dogs are masters of this mechanism; however, this can lead to a viscous circle of ‘RSI’ later leading to serious injury.

One more little tip, resting muscle does not heal the muscle and restore full ROM, massage manipulation directly teasing muscle fibres apart addresses the physiological stages of healing muscle injuries.