Researchers at Temple University may have found a way to help diagnose repetitive stress injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Repetitive stress injury is notoriously hard to diagnose, making it a condition whose existence is sometimes doubted.

The new study from Temple University senior researchers Ann Barr and Mary Barbe and their doctoral student, Stephen Carp, in the March issue of Clinical Science, found that the immune system pumps out biomarkers (different kinds of chemicals) as the body begins to become injured by repetitive motions. These biomarkers warn of an underlying problem.

The biomarkers could indicate other types of injuries, so they are not sufficient for a diagnoses, but they can serve as a previously unavailable red flag. This could allow for early diagnoses; hopefully preventing chronic conditions.