Matthew S. Caywood '99, a computer science major, says that last year, he was able to work 10 hours straight typing away at the computer the night before his assignments were due.

Then he developed RSI.

Now Caywood, who has tendonitis in his wrists, has joined the company of many other students who must deal with computer-related hand and arm injuries. These injuries are collectively known as RSI, or repetitive strain injury.

RSI is caused by small, rapid, repetitive movements while the body is in an awkward or fixed position for a long time. Gradually, these movements damage muscles, nerves and tendons of the forearms, wrists and fingers.

RSI is a broad category of disease that includes such injuries as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynovitis and tennis elbow.

Experts say that computer users should take periodic stretch breaks as an important preventive measure.

But Caywood says that during crunch periods, when work must be produced quickly, occasional breaks are a luxury most Harvard students cannot afford.

"You feel bad about taking breaks," he says. "They tell you to take five-minute stretch breaks, but you feel like you don't even have time to do that."

With proper treatment and therapy, RSI can get better. It is still unclear if the condition can ever go away.

Health providers at University Health Services (UHS) are currently working on estimating how many students have RSI, according to Christine Hollis, manager of UHS's Center for Wellness and Health Communication (CWHC).

Caywood estimates that between 20 to 30 percent of computer science majors have or have had RSI. Because of its prevalence, he says there is an "informal support network" within the department.

James T. Grimmelmann '98-'99, a computer science major with RSI, says that many students within the department know about each other's problems and can relate to each other because they have shared similar experiences.

"You have to have gone through it to understand it," Grimmelmann says.

Hiding RSI

For some students, however, RSI carries a powerful stigma. A graduate student in the humanities, who asked to remain anonymous, says she feels that there is a lack of openness among some students with RSI.