Repetitive stress injury (RSI) is a serious condition that’s frequently associated with lab work. The daily routine of pipetting and other repetitive movements can lead to tissues, like muscles, tendons, and ligaments, wearing down. The resulting picture isn’t bright: chronic pain, aches, cramping, swelling, tingling, and numbness are just some of the symptoms of RSI. Some even suffer from full-blown RSI-associate syndromes, like carpel tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, or tenosynovitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sheath around the tendon).1

What causes RSIs?

Repetitive tasks, like pipetting, can put a constant strain on your hand and wrist, the effects of which can last for days or week (or sometimes months) after you’re done, especially when you need to jam the pipette into the tip box to get each tip and you’ve got hundreds of samples to prepare. Standing around all day also has its downside, as you’re putting an enormous strain on your muscles and back, to keep you upright for long periods. This can be exacerbated if your posture is off, even if you’re sitting, and psychological stress can often intensify the strain you put on yourself.

Things you can do to minimize the damage

Here are some ways you can avoid RSIs while working in the lab:

Automate – Why prepare your samples yourself and risk RSI when a machine can do it for you? Automation is becoming commonplace in the lab, with many basic tasks, including labeling, liquid dispensing, and pipetting, becoming fully automated. Certain kinds of labs, like histology labs, have embrace automation to the point where every single step of the histochemical process, from fixing and embedding to sectioning and staining, can now be performed by a machine.

Choose the right pipette – Many different pipettes exist that don’t require the same physical exertion as the standard models. To start, the design of the pipette should be ergonomic enough to make you feel comfortable when pipetting. Some pipette models are “light touch” and don’t require much pressure to use, while others are purely electronic. Multichannel and repeat dispenser pipettes can also be valuable, as they reduce your overall workload; however, these pipettes are a bit harder to maintain and aren’t generally as accurate with small volumes as single-channel pipettes. You can also purchase “light touch” tips, which are easier to apply to the end of the pipette because of their flexible mountain area.

PikaTAGTM – If you label your tubes with dot labels, you might experience the strain it can put on your hand and fingers, constantly lifting labels from their liners and affixing them to the top of tubes. One way to mitigate the risk of RSI when labeling is by using the PikaTAG, a label application accessory. Its ergonomic pen-shaped design lets you accurately pick up labels from their liner and attach them to the tops of tubes and vials without removing your gloves.