Repetitive motion injuries develop gradually. Each cycle adds microscopic stress. Over thousands of cycles per shift, over months and years, the damage accumulates until it becomes debilitating.
The Cumulative Damage Problem
Manufacturing hands perform the same motions tens of thousands of times per day. Picking parts, operating tools, manipulating fixtures — each motion stresses the same tendons, joints, and muscles. Without intervention, this repetitive stress leads to chronic injury.
Support Strategies
Self-adhering tape can provide light support to vulnerable joints without restricting motion. Unlike rigid braces, tape flexes with your movements while providing gentle resistance that reduces strain. It's not treatment for existing injury — see a professional for that — but it can help prevent damage from accumulating.
Finger joints are particularly vulnerable to repetitive stress. Tape wraps that support without immobilizing can reduce strain while maintaining the dexterity needed for production work.