RSI Syndrome / Mouse Arm

It begins insidiously. A pull in the wrist that you shake off. A stiffness in the fingers that disappears after the lunch break. Then it becomes more stubborn. The pain moves — from the wrist into the forearm, into the elbow, into the shoulder, into the neck. At some point it hurts to hold a cup. At some point it hurts to do nothing.

Medicine calls it repetitive strain injury — an injury caused by repetitive strain. Too many hours at the keyboard, too many clicks with the mouse, too few breaks, too little ergonomics. And that is true — on the mechanical level. But the question that arises is a different one: Why does your body destroy precisely the tools you need in order to work? Why does it not sabotage your legs, your digestive system, your heart — but exactly the hands, arms, and shoulders with which you do your job?

RSI is not wear and tear. It is a veto.