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Repetitive Strain Injury and Autism

MelonCauliflower

Hi,

I hurt my right wrist and hand (dominant hand) a few years ago due to repetitive course work at university. It keeps flaring up and stops me from doing basically everything remotely interesting (gaming, baking, knitting, sometimes even reading) 

When I got diagnosed with autism the lady said "try all the stimming stuff that you stopped doing because you were masking" But all of the stuff that I used to enjoy that I've since stopped all involves repetitive movement (like drumming my fingers of the table, stroking a nice texture) so it hurts to do these things now.

So is Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) a common thing for autistic people? Are autistic people more vulnerable to RSI? How do you stim without aggravating RSI?

I'm pretty sure the reason I hurt my hand and wrist in the first place is because one of my autistic traits is to get hyper focused on tasks so I did my coursework for hours without breaks and did it super intently and really tensed my whole arm to try and get it perfect (I was drawing in CAD on the computer and using Photoshop to edit images) I really wish I hadn't because the degree so wasn't worth it Slight smile I wish I could trust myself to work on stuff without getting so sucked into it that I hurt myself in this way. I really struggle to limit myself even with things like online clothes shopping because even the pain isn't enough to make me stop.

Just curious if anyone else has experienced similar. 

Parents

  • I know that computer work locks people into a certain position for long hours at a time. I've injured my shoulder before by doing repetitive work, and it took a year to heal. It sort of scared me from doing more computer work (digital painting) and although I am good at it, I also risk these types of injuries by doing things non stop for hours without breaks, just as you've done. 

    Perhaps you could get some kind of wrist brace to support your hand for awhile as it heals. 

Reply

  • I know that computer work locks people into a certain position for long hours at a time. I've injured my shoulder before by doing repetitive work, and it took a year to heal. It sort of scared me from doing more computer work (digital painting) and although I am good at it, I also risk these types of injuries by doing things non stop for hours without breaks, just as you've done. 

    Perhaps you could get some kind of wrist brace to support your hand for awhile as it heals. 

Children
  • in reply to Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

    Yeah, I've got a brace but it's awkward and compromises my "just right" working position so as soon as my wrist stops blaring with pain I stop using it and the cycle starts again. I've tried being strict and banning myself from the computer for a whole year but my wrist still flared up after and I can't imagine life without any computer usage so I'm managing the pain and trying to be forgiving when I get sucked into a 4hour session and my wrist starts screaming Upside down