Welcome to ComputerAthlete.com. Here you will learn about Repetitive Stress Injury and mind/body therapies for pain relief.

If you are injured or in pain from computer use, contact us at cathlete@yahoo.com for support and information.

*Repetitive Strain Injury is an umbrella term, also known as Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD). Specific diagnoses include forearm tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrom, deQuervain's tendonitis (thumb), tennis elbow, occupational overuse syndrome (OOS), thoracic outlet syndrome, low-back pain and other related musculoskeletal injuries.

People of all sorts are at risk for physical overtraining injury. Overtraining is defined by dictionary.com as "training too much". It is exercise beyond the body's ability. It's when training intensity, duration or volume really surpasses the recuperation time being offered to the body. More specifically, overtraining injury occurs when the athlete doesn't allow enough time for recovery between exercise sessions.

Even computer athletes are at risk of overtraining, especially because they don't realize that they are athletes. Sitting at a computer all seems like a sedentary, easy job. However, both core/spinal muscles, neck and facial muscles and upper extremity muscles can all be overused in sitting for 8 or more hours per day. It's not long before posture becomes weak and lumbar kyphosis sets in, contributing to nerve and blood vessel compression, causing pain.

Tension in the body due to constant holding while staring at the monitor or tension due to nervous system freezing can also cause physical pain, sometimes excruciating pain. Tension squeezes nerves. The nervous system freezing can be due to prior or current trauma, stress, or conditioning.

ComputerAthlete.com is your source for information about repetitive strain injury from computer use.

Educate yourself about the causes and solutions available. From ergonomics to mind/body techniques, a comprehensive program will help. Here are books available to help with your educating yourself:

Computer Athlete Handbook 
Treat Your Own Neck
Treat Your Own Back
Hypnosis The Pain Solution

The Repetitive Strain Injury Sourcebook by Sandra Peddie
It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, RSI Theory & Therapy for Computer Professionals by Suparna Damany
Relax and Renew : Restful Yoga for Stressful Times by Judith Lasater
Visual Ergonomics in the Workplace by Jeffrey Anshel
Repetitive Strain Injury:A Computer User's Guide by Emil Pascarelli
Chronic Muscle Pain Syndrome by Paul Davidson
The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Book by Mark Pinsky
Pain Free at Your PC by Pete Egoscue
The Wharton's Stretch Book by Jim wharton
Desktop Yoga by Julie Lusk
Pain Erasure: The Bonnie Pruddin Way by Bonnie Pruddin
Somatics by Thomas Hanna
Relaxercise by David Zemach-Berson
Compute in Comfort by Paul Linden
Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction, Volume 1 by Janet Travell
Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by Sharon J. Butler