Any joint which is repeatedly overused will gradually become weakened. The joint will lack the necessary qi (energy) and blood for its proper functioning. In Chinese medicine this can lead to external climatic factors, such as Wind, Cold and Damp invading the joint and making it more problematic.

In Chinese medicine pain is caused by stagnation of qi (energy) and blood. Imagine a river that has run dry, forming pools of water on the riverbed. In this case there is stagnation of water because there is not enough water flowing down the river. It is similar to repetitive strain injury. The qi is weak and over time it stagnates and causes pain in the affected joint. Treatment would involve needling points locally to move the stuck qi, and also to open up the affected acupuncture channel to increase the flow of water. This may involve needling the opposite limb in order to tap into more energy, and move it to the affected area.

When a joint has become weakened, it is then vulnerable to Cold, Damp, and Wind entering the joint and becoming lodged there. We see this all the time in the clinic. In York I treated a patient who had very painful knuckles and when I touched them they were very cold, even though the rest of his body was warm. He had been working on roofs for 27 years (in Yorkshire), without wearing protective gloves. The Wind had driven the Cold into the knuckle joints, which then prevented the qi moving freely. Cold has a contracting nature, and this impedes movement. Treatment involved burning a Chinese herb 'moxa' on the end of acupuncture needles to send warmth between his knuckles and into acupuncture channels.

Another example is a patient who had a repetitive strain injury in her right hand following excessive use of a computer mouse. Her hand felt very cold and the cold continued halfway up her arm. She was a vegan and ate a lot of raw and cold food. She had a lot of cold internally due to eating a cold diet for a long time, combined with a weakness of qi and blood due to using a mouse. This allowed cold from outside to easily enter her weakened hand and wrist. This was successfully treated with three acupuncture sessions using moxa to warm the channels.

Repetitive stain injury is characterised by a weakness in qi and blood, with the possible complication of Cold, Wind and Damp becoming lodged in the acupuncture channels.

Most cases respond very well with acupuncture treatment.