With the exam season fast approaching, many students see writer's cramp as a natural hazard of the frantic essays, revising and paper writing they are putting themselves through right now. But they could be building the foundation for future repetitive strain injury - problems which could be completely avoided by taking simple preventative measures.
The term repetitive strain injury (RSI) is not a medical diagnosis, according to the RSI Association, a charity which offers advice and support to sufferers. Like the term sports injury, it tells more about how the injury was sustained than what it actually is.
Most frequently, people first notice pain in their hands and wrists, but RSI can affect both upper and lower limbs as well the spine. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, sharp pain, dull ache, weakness, loss of grip and restricted movement.
Why should students be particularly concerned about a condition which is largely thought to affect office workers? Although no research has been carried out among British students, recent research from Holland revealed that 40% of Dutch students are suffering from RSI.
The study revealed that overuse of computers and second jobs that involve a lot of repetitive movement, such as working at supermarket checkouts or in factories, have led to a huge increase in the amount of students reporting RSI-type symptoms.
"We are being approached more and more frequently by students who have been forced to cut short their studies due to RSI," says Sonja Dippel, spokesperson for the Dutch RSI Association, which carried out the research.
Andrew Chadwick of the UK's RSI Association says that similar problems are likely to be occurring here. "The risk factors for developing RSI include smoking, alcohol, bad diet and stress - but stress is the big one," says Andrew.
With more and more students combining full-time studies with part-time work - the newest major study by the NUS revealed that three-quarters of students were combining their studies with employment, with the average student working a 20-hour week on top of their studies - stress levels are certainly rising.
Pia Enoizi, a former student at Cambridge, is one person who can testify to the havoc that contracting RSI can wreak on your studies. However, determination, coupled with the support of her college, Gonville and Caius, and the RSI Association, enabled her to complete her studies, and, with the help of a supportive employer, she is now pursuing a fulfilling career.
"I first noticed symptoms when I was doing an internship over the summer," she says. "I had stabbing pains in my arms and back but only really noticed how intense they had become when I was unable to lift a small saucepan full of boiling water while cooking dinner one night. I told myself it was just writer's cramp and that the pains would go away as I was about to go on holiday - which they did. However, they soon came back at university once I started writing essays again."
Fortunately for Pia, her condition was diagnosed early in her final year so she had time to try different solutions. In the end, the college paid for an amanuensis - a postgraduate student to take dictation from her. "I therefore had at least a term to get used to the idea of dictating to someone, and didn't feel too self-conscious or awkward in the final exams," she says.
Pia's university was extremely supportive of her condition. "They bought me a PC and voice- activated software, provided me with two amanuenses, and ensured that the same people would also be available on the day of my finals for consistency.
"I had extra time in my exams, and, owing to two of my exams being on the same day, they arranged for me to be kept in isolation for 24 hours so I could spread them out to save my voice. The college even paid for taxis to and from my physiotherapy sessions.
"What was even better, however, was the support on a personal level from every supervisor and tutor before the exams, and the notes of congratulation when the results were announced - it made it feel as if all the slog had been worthwhile."
A wide range of treatments are available to help with RSI, ranging from massage to osteopathy, Alexander technique, chiropractic and physiotherapy. Treatment is aimed at improving posture, eradicating bad habits, and in the worst cases, learning how to control the pain. Not everything works for everyone.
Pia found a combination of physiotherapy and chiropractic worked best for her. "Both were effective, the physio literally kept me going during term time - I was having it around two or three times a week. However, I don't think I really found a solution until attending a pain management clinic after I graduated," she says.
"Unfortunately, given the fact that I work in an office environment, I will always suffer to a degree because so much of the work at a computer is repetitive. However, with the right posture, exercise, and doing the right stretches that I learned at the pain management clinic, the pain is almost always under control."
Pia has some tips on how to avoid RSI: "To prevent RSI, it is worth finding out how to sit properly at a computer workstation and best practice while working - plenty of breaks from typing and sitting still all the time. There are plenty of websites which explain this in more detail.
"Always, always use a computer chair and make sure it complies with the latest ergonomic guidelines - don't be fobbed off with one that is uncomfortable. Ask for an ergonomic assessment if you are temping or working long hours at a computer - they take less than 15 minutes and the difference it can make to your work environment and comfort is huge.
"If you have RSI, I would recommend contacting the RSI Association (www.rsi.org.uk or 0800-018-5012) - they helped me enormously when I was first diagnosed. A sympathetic doctor or consultant is also really important as it is even harder to come to terms with RSI if your doctor is openly sceptical.
"Make sure your personal and academic tutors or supervisors are all aware of your condition - you will need a doctor's note when it comes to negotiating extra time for exams. Lecturers can also help in small ways like printing out copies of their lecture notes for you so you don't have to take so many notes, or agreeing for supervisions to be taped into a dictaphone.
"Find out what resources your university offers - will they pay for you to dictate to an amanuensis if you can't physically write? If not, what are they prepared to do? It helps if you give them as much warning time as possible to sort out a solution," says Pia.
