'Repetitive strain injury': from Australia to the UK

The UK is now experiencing an epidemic of upper limb pain similar to that which affected Australia in the 1980s. The pain is often non-specific, and does not conform to the pattern of various well-recognized rheumatological entities. The syndrome is known by a number of terms, some of which imply an aetiological link to workplace activities unsubstantiated by hard evidence. The syndrome may well be largely psychosocial, and analogous to the chronic fatigue syndrome. It is currently the cause of many contentious and well-publicized medico-legal cases. Possible factors behind the epidemic will be discussed, and an approach to management suggested.