Watch Out for That….Tendonitis!

You thought I was going to say, “Watch out for that Wii-fist/controller!,” I bet. If you have a Wii, it’s likely, since it’s easy to get caught up in physically demanding video games. After all, some gamers frantically lean to one side or smash buttons as if to gain an extra edge.

I mean, whatever you think helps; however, it’s the less overtly physical movements—less swinging and more clicking—that may cause more serious, lasting injuries. Not all video game-related injuries leave bruises or other physical manifestations which may look as if you were beat up.

These subtle, yet not-so-subtle injuries are caused by overuse or repetition over extended periods of time. Moving and clicking the mouse and pressing buttons for hours at a time is strenuous and can lead to muscle/joint pain, wrist tendonitis (micro tears in the wrist), carpal tunnel syndrome (pain or weakened muscle in the forearm and hand), eye strain, and hugely sore thumbs. Also, being sedentary for hours and hours on end can manifest acne, obesity, and lapse in mental function. These injuries creep up on you.

Ways to avoid these injuries are pretty obvious, when muscles or joints hurt after playing for six hours, and your friends know better than to call you to hang out, you probably play too much. But, there are times when it’s just impossible to tear oneself away from a game because it’s more than just a game. It’s easy to dismiss wrist, neck, back pains, and friends- we just shake it off; however, these bouts of soreness only get more painful and frequent when brushed aside.

It’s recommended to take a break at least every hour or so. Look away from the screen, stretch a bit, walk around, go to the bathroom, relax, go out and get some sun; better yet, go hang out with your friends. However, if you must play, try sitting up straight at a reasonable distance from the screen to give your back and eyes a small break. It sounds simple enough, even when those precious couple minutes of resting and building a social life could be spent pwning more n00bs. Tempting, I know.