The current generation of students is more at risk than others, Rosenthal said.

"It's a problem that's increasing as more and more people use computers for everyday things," Rosenthal said. "More and more people are now bringing [computers] into the classroom to take notes."

Rosenthal said when students wrote their papers using typewriters, the carriage stage at the end of each line of type provided a momentary relief for their hands which helped prevent injury.

"Now you can just type with your hands in the same position for hours," he said.

Getting Help

Coley said the normal procedure at UHS is for students to be seen first by a primary care physician. Depending upon the severity of a patient's symptoms, the primary care physician will either refer the patient to a specialist or to a physical therapist.

Those students with very minor symptoms or general concerns are directed for the Center for Wellness and Health Communication (CWHC) located on the second floor of UHS.

According to CWCH Manager Christine A. Hollis, the center can provide patients with information on the syndrome and also offers RSI workshops which focus on prevention as well as help for those students already afflicted.

But, according to RSI Action Vice President Joshua T. Goodman '92, a current GSAS student, the CWHC pamphlet which was distributed to all first-years and some GSAS students at the beginning of the year needs to be updated to include more recent findings on RSI.

While Goodman said UHS' treatment of students suffering from RSI has "actually improved somewhat over the past few years," he said UHS still needs to do much more.

"My single biggest concern is the level of education," Goodman said.

A Rough Road to Recovery

But for those students who already have RSI, the issue is the quality of treatment available for UHS patients.

For many RSI sufferers, their experience at UHS has involved primary care physicians with little knowledge about RSI.

And students with RSI treated at UHS said they waited about a month for a physical therapy appointment.