Hi Demi,

Sorry for the delay in responding...my to-do list is enormous and I've been away on business.

Okay, RSI (repetitive strain injury) appears to affect the muscles, nerves and tendons of the arms and upper back, typically because muscles in these areas are kept tense for very long periods of time, due to poor posture and/or repetitive motions.

The first things I would try would be magnesium (for the muscle tension), ginkgo biloba (for increased peripheral circulation), and boswellia or devil's claw (for pain and inflammation).

I've actually taken a product called Ginkgo/Gotu Kola that really helps when I start getting similar symptoms from all the computer work I do, plus I take extra magnesium almost daily because I still have mercury in my tissues and mercury interferes with magnesium.

A few friends of mine that have had shoulder or knee injuries have also used Joint Health. It's a combination of many herbs used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine from India. It's been amazing how well it worked, especially for chronic swelling and inflammation that was causing pressure on sensitive nerves. It also helped speed up the healing process. Doctors were quite surprised how quickly a friend recovered after an accident that damaged both knees pretty badly.

Also, I know this sounds simple, but drinking water really helps me when I'm at the computer for long periods of time. It must help flush the lactic acid that tends to build up, because my hands and shoulder muscles will start to "burn." Once I drink a glass or two of water, it almost always subsides. It's easy to forget the little things like this. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hope this helps. Let me know if you try any of these and whether or not they help.