The RSI Clinic: Integrative Pain Treatment Center

Co-Founded and Directed by Dr. Heather Tick since 1993, the Toronto-based RSI Clinic endeavours to address the global epidemic of work related injuries, and other Musculoskeletal Disorders. As an Integrative Pain Treatment Centre, the clinic responds to the unique needs of its patients by using the wisdom of many professionals from different disciplines, including massage therapists, chiropractors, physical therapists, movement therapists, kinesiologists and behavioral medicine specialists. All facets of patients’ symptoms are addressed - this includes not only alleviating their physical pain, but also emotional challenges, connecting mind, body and spirit.

 

The RSI Clinic theory of RSI

Muscles were made to work efficiently and effectively, when they do what they are meant to do - maintain your body in motion and support posture. They were not meant to be overworked, overstrained or made to work without appropriate rest.

One of the major factors in RSI is that some muscles may be fatiguing while other (less appropriate) muscles are compensating or overworking. The muscles that were meant to do the work have not been functioning properly, either as a result of acute injury, or from fatigue due to long-term overuse. The neighbouring muscles (or another muscle group) may have been recruited to "help out" or take over completely. They quickly fatigue because they are not designed to do the job. In fact, we have seen a large number of patients where this fatigue pattern is the cause of their symptoms. As you can imagine it is important to fully assess the muscles to understand where the problem exists, because what you feel is not necessarily where the problem originates! For example, many patients come with problems of pain down their arms, with tingling, "pins and needles" or pain sensations and weakness of the hands. These symptoms, often labeled as "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome", can be caused by smaller muscles in the shoulder area trying to "help out" the main shoulder muscles (which are often fatigued), then developing trigger points.