RSI TMSers - did you experience joint cracking and popping?

[cindy]

One of the main symptoms of my RSI is a constant (hundreds of times a day) cracking and popping of the joints in my wrists and hands (I also crack and pop all over my upper body) that gets significantly worse with flare-ups. Does / has anyone else experienced this, and most importantly, did you find that it went away when you recovered?

P.S. I have been told by doctors that although my pain is real and apparent in my musculature, there is no underlying structural abnormality in any part of my upper body to explain why I have pain.

 

[Gigalos]

I don't have RSI but cracking and popping of my knees, shoulders and neck happens, and I feel it is connected to flare-ups. As if the balance between the surrounding muscles is somewhat off. I don't give it any attention any more. Last week I moved my head and my neck gave a popping crack or cracking pop of amazing magnitude... it made me laugh, a chiropractic would have been proud

 

[Leslie]

The doctors didn't specifically use the term RSI with my symptoms but I was told that likely what was going on was rotator cuff tears in both of my shoulders due to too much time at a computer so I'm drawing my own conclusion. Anyway, my primary symptoms target my neck and shoulders and cracking and popping have been prevalent for over a year. Like Gigalos, I can see a connection to flare-ups so I tend to use it as a gauge. The higher the emotional barometer, the more likely things are going to crack and pop...so if I notice a lot of cracking and popping it's a warning siren to let me know a trip inside is overdue and I best not put it off any longer.

 

[Forest]

P.S. I have been told by doctors that although my pain is real and apparent in my musculature, there is no underlying structural abnormality in any part of my upper body to explain why I have pain.

This is pretty much the case for all of us. The PPDA (a tms nonprofit organization made up of doctors and therapists) describes TMS/PPD as disorders [that] cause real physical symptoms that are not due to pathological or structural abnormality and are not explained by diagnostic tests. The pain is real, it is simply due to psychological factors, not structural ones. Even if you have popping and cracking, you still probably have TMS. There are many people who were diagnosed with RSI, myself included, and were able to recover using this approach. I recommend checking out my story as well as the ones at http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Repetitive_Strain_Injuries_-_RSI

 

[Ftaghn!]

When I get flares (I'm the RSI type), some of my joints pop and crack easily. I think it has to do with inflammation of surrounding muscles/tendons/etc. Fairly normal, and also, completely harmless.