Negative Health Effects Of Excessive Video Gaming
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Playing video games can be fun, and you may enjoy winding down by engaging in this type of virtual relaxation. These games can also offer a creative way to connect with friends. But when you play, your position and the repetitive motion involved in using a video game controller may cause injuries that can become more serious down the road. You dont have to give up gaming, but you should be aware of the negative health effects of video games that you can identify and treat right away.
Set Yourself Up For Success
Additionally, maintaining a good set-up with your computer or gaming system is very important. If youre using a keyboard, invest in one that is ideal for long periods of use. Also, make sure your wrists are elevated above your fingers. Consider a standing set-up with your gaming console, and make sure youre using controls designed for long periods of use. Have you been experiencing pain playing during or after gaming? Schedule a free 15-minute injury assessment to determine if you might be suffering from gamers thumb, carpal tunnel syndrome, or tennis elbow.
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What Can You Do
Begin with your office. Small changes can make a huge difference. This video demonstrates this:
You can also be smart about your typing habits at home. You dont need to buy expensive home office furniture to ergonomically improve your laptop habits:
Factory jobs and other kinds of repetitive motions at work can also cause carpal and ulnar tunnel syndrome. Using a scoop to make dozens of trays of cookies in an industrial kitchen, or using scissors to cut material are repetitive motions that can lead to an injury. Examine your daily work routine and if you realize you are doing repetitive tasks, make a point of building in frequent short breaks for your hands. If you feel like you are developing carpal or ulnar tunnel syndrome at work its important to report it to your supervisor right away and seek treatment.
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Symptoms Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
If you believe you may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome from gaming or otherwise, there are a few tell-tale symptoms to look out for:
- Hand numbness, particularly in your thumb and first 2 fingers
- Thumb numbness while playing video games
- Tingling or pins-and-needles feeling in your hands, particularly in your thumb and first 2 fingers
- Hand weakness causing you to drop things or lose your grip
If youre experiencing the above symptoms, we recommend seeking medical attention.
How To Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome At Home
So I asked my doctor how to speed up my recovery so I could take off my support brace.
He told me to do some exercises that involved stretching, circular movements, and soft massage.
Stretching involves moving your wrists forward and backwards until you feel a little stretch.
Users can also stretch their wrists side to side while holding them in place for a few seconds then release.
Circular movements of the wrist can be done by rotating the hands clockwise and counterclockwise.
Finally, softly massage your wrists starting from the bottom arm all the way to the fingers.
Then, massage from the upper forearm, down to the fingers. This activity helps blood flow to the hand.
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What Is Carpal Tunnel
The Carpal Tunnel is a narrow passage near the anterior side of the wrist that contains the major tendons that flex your fingers. It also contains nerves that move through to the hand. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an instance of pain, numbness, and/or tingling that occurs as a result of this nerve being pinched, squeezed, or compressed. Most often, this condition will arise due to a series of repetitive movements performed over a long period of time, such as typing on a keyboard or button-mashing a controller. This can cause inflammation and swelling of the tendons. Since space is limited in the carpel tunnel, this puts pressure on the nerves.
The Amount Of Overuse Injuries That Can Result From All That Play Time Is Out Of Control
According to a recent Pew Research study, over 43 percent of American adults often or sometimes play video games using a computer, cell phone or game console. In the same study, 75 percent of teenage girls and a whopping 84 percent of teenage boys reported that they regularly play video games, with many identifying themselves as gamers.
Though there has long been a debate about the impact of video gaming on a users mental health, we are now beginning to tune in to the effect those small, repetitive movements have on the body.
There has been a clear uptick in video gaming-related injuries, says Dr. Pedro K. Beredjiklian, who is in charge of hand surgery at the Rothman Orthopaedics at Jefferson Health. Its well documented that with the increase in gaming and use of smartphones and tablets, were seeing an epidemic of overuse injuries.
Common InjuriesThe most common injuries seen in video gamers are overuse injuries of the hands, including carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and synovitis. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a narrowing of the passagewayknown as the carpal tunnelwhere nerves travel from your arm and into your hand. This can cause pain, weakness and reduced range of motion in the hands and wrists.
Its well documented that with the increase in gaming and use of smartphones and tablets, were seeing an epidemic of overuse injuries.Dr. Pedro Beredjiklian
In many cases, the devil is in the design.
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Tennis Elbow From Gaming
Dont let this name fool you gamers suffer from tennis elbow fairly frequently, and not just as a result of too much time playing Wii Tennis.In fact, tennis elbow is a common injury resulting from any repetitive wrist and arm movement, as well as activities that engage your grip, like weightlifting, gymnastics, and you guessed it, esports.
Some Simple Stretches You Can Do At Home Include:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Gamer Doc With Dr. Justin MD- Rotating your wrist up and down to relieve stiffness
- Stretch your fingers out so theres a large space between them, then relax your hand back into a flat position. This gives each finger a chance to stretch the tendons running through
- Gently push back each thumb for a gentle stretch. You can also push your fingertips together and apart for a deeper stretch in each finger.
- Put one hand out, straight in front of you with the palm facing towards the floor. Let your wrist bend your hand downwards. Use your other hand to gently push that wrist and hand into the forearm to feel a stretch in the arm. This helps stretch the extensor muscles in the hand and wrist.
- Put one hand out, straight in front with the palm facing towards the floor. Let your wrist bend your hand upwards. Use your other hand to gently pull back on that hand which will let you feel a stretch in the arm. This helps stretch the flexor muscles in the hand and wrist
Sometimes, you can also find relief from just shaking out your hands and wrists. It sounds silly, but it definitely makes a difference because it vibrates and loosens up the tendons. Lastly, try and ice your wrist area for 10-15 minutes each day. This will help reduce swelling in the median nerve and allow for better flow.
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Can Playing Video Games Too Much Cause Carpal Tunnel
Posted by Dr. Scott Wilson | 01-Jun-2021
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition that affects roughly one million Canadians. It occurs when the median nerve, a nerve that runs from the forearm through a narrow tunnel at the wrist and palm, becomes compressed. When this tunnel becomes irritated and swollen, pressure is placed on the median nerve, which can cause painful symptoms such as numbness and tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers and pain and weakness in the hand, wrist, and forearm.
This kind of swelling and irritation is commonly caused by repetitive movements. In the past, most people diagnosed with this condition were middle-aged workers who were experiencing symptoms due to the repetitive nature of their jobs. Over the past few decades, however, there has been an increasing number of children, teenagers, and young adults suffering the symptoms of CTS, and the hours they spend playing video games are to blame.
How To Prevent Common Computer And Video Game Injuries In Children
Most children and adolescents regularly experience physical injuries from ordinary play and sports. However, with the increasing popularity of computer and video games, some kids are now feeling the same kind of pains and aches that adults get from sitting behind their desks all day. Taking steps to prevent computer and video game injuries can ease pain today and possibly minimize the risk of long-term damage.
Chiropractors believe that common musculoskeletal problems caused by excessive gaming in front of a screen result mainly from postural stresses and lack of movement. Some of the common health problems experienced by gamers include:
- Eyestrain
- Wrist, arm or elbow strain
- Hand or thumb strain
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome From Gaming
Carpal tunnel syndrome is most well known as the desk-job injury. Theres been a lot of research and literature about setting your desk up properly and using the right keyboard setup to avoid this injury.However, theres less information out there regarding carpal tunnel from gaming. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most prominent esport injuries, and it can affect all types of gamers.
What Causes Gamers Thumb Or Wrist
Specifically for video game use, the most common cause is the repetitive motion of console or keyboard play. Engaging in these repetitive motions for a prolonged period of time with little to no real breaks is the most common cause we see.According to Mayo Clinic, there are a few risk factors and groups of people more prone to gamers thumb. Risk factors include:
- Age. Most commonly 30-50 years old.
- Sex. Women are more likely to suffer de Quervains syndrome. However, it is unclear whether that is a genetic predisposition or due to the repetitive motion of picking up a new baby being a primary cause. There is no evidence that suggests women are more likely than men to get this injury from video games.
- Pregnancy. Some evidence suggests a correlation between pregnancy and de Quervains syndrome.
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What Are The Common Symptoms
Most of the time, CTS symptoms will start gradually, beginning with an intermittent numbness and tingling sensation that starts in the thumbs, index, and middle fingers. Over time, you may also begin to experience discomfort in the wrist and palm of the hand, or a sensation similar to that of an electric shock.
You may also find that the tingling and numbness sensation progresses throughout the rest of your hand and fingers. It is possible for the sensation to move from your wrist all the way up your arm, and can also occur while holding a steering wheel, book, or phone.
Additionally, you could experience weakness in your hand, along with an inability to maintain a firm grip on objects. This is mainly due to the pain this activity causes and is just another result of the numbness and pain of the nerves and tendons within the carpal tunnel.
Treatment & Recovery For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Heres the real deal: as a physical therapy company, we feel extremely confident in the benefits and positive outcomes associated with physical therapy. Weve found that in most cases, physical therapy can eliminate the need for invasive surgeries and excessive medications.Thats why I was surprised to hear Doug tell me that, while physical therapy can certainly assist carpal tunnel patients with increasing strength and eliminating symptoms, it is a long, drawn-out road with inconsistent levels of success. Prevention is a better goal. You can decrease the pressure on your median nerve that causes carpal tunnel syndrome by correcting your head and shoulder position. This eliminates the need to bend your wrist excessively while squeezing your remote.Simply sitting up tall will usually correct poor head and shoulder positioning. If the front of your shoulders are too tight, try this pec corner stretch to loosen those muscles and improve your posture.According to Doug, the surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is relatively quick and easy, and patients typically see immediate success. In fact, its common for surgical patients to make a full recovery.However, physical therapy and adjustments to your set-up for your esports and/or other activities are always a great place to start to determine the extent of damage and whether that can be reversed with manual therapy and splinting.
Related content > > How Better Posture Could Improve Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
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My Experience With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
During the day, I work eight hours in front of a computer typing letters, writing articles and other activities.
I never paid attention to my sitting posture and how much pressure I was placing on my wrist.
Later I would go home and sit in front of my computer to play video games.
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As a result, my wrist started feeling numb and I couldnt feel my fingers.
It got so bad that I could hardly use the mouse for about fifteen minutes before I felt the pain.
This was not good, so I visited my doctor and asked for some advice.
My problem was so bad that they placed a wrist support brace to allow proper blood flow.
Caring For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel in Esports, explained in 5 minutesAlthough it can be difficult to keep your wrist and hand from doing repetitive movements depending on your job or hobbies, there are a few things to keep in mind when caring for your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and ways you can stretch out your wrist, hand and arm at home.
- If your job requires you to type or do a repetitive job with your wrist, make sure to take breaks every hour to stretch out your wrist and arm. Set timers to make sure youre squeezing in these breaks because it will help your wrist from becoming fatigued and your muscles from being overworked
- If you are a student, make sure you are taking breaks throughout the day to stretch your muscles as well. It may not be possible to do during a class depending on how fast you need to take notes, but you can find an alternative to writing or typing, such as recording lectures.
- If you are a gamer, be aware of how long youve been playing. Every hour, make sure you are taking breaks, putting down the controller and moving away from the keyboard. Make sure you are stretching out your wrist, fingers and arm.
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Q: What Kind Of Injury Can I Get From Playing Esports
A: First, we needto identify the gaming platforms. Injuries are different depending on whichplatform you use:
- The console : Gamersuse a hand-held controller to navigate the game and are usually sitting on acouch or cushy chair.
- Thepersonal computer : Gamerssit in a chair at a desk using a keyboard and mouse.
- Virtualreality : Gamers wear a headset and goggles, use a hand-held controllerand are not chained to the console.
What If You Develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A doctor can tell you if you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. And from that point there are a couple of options.
First, your doctor will likely try non-surgical treatments. These include rest, splinting and corticosteroids.
If non-surgical treatments dont work, your doctor will likely recommend carpal tunnel surgery. Read our post on carpal tunnel surgery to learn more about what you can expect.
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Pain Treatment
If you need pain treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, please contact Absolute Rehab Centre. As a leading physiotherapy and massage therapy provider in Waterloo, we have experience treating patients with CTS at varying degrees. Dont wait in pain any longer no matter your career or hobby. It is a treatable condition and patients have shown positive results with our pain treatments.
For more information or to book a Massage Therapy appointment with a therapist at Absolute Rehab Centre, please call us today. We would love to get you on the road to recovery so you can use your wrist, hand and arm without pain while doing your everyday activities.
Neck And Upper Back Pain
While there are gaming systems that encourage movement, the inactive reality of gaming is a major concern for chiropractors. The reason is simply that joints must move to remain healthy. In other words, joints get nutrition through movement.
Subjecting young spines to poor postural positions for long periods with minimal or no movement at all can lead to changes in the normal S curve of the spine. This can result, in some cases, in pain as well as potentially long-lasting problems. Chiropractic care can help to offset the postural stresses and lack of movement linked to gaming.
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How To Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome While Gaming
Until recently, the main solution for dealing with pain related to carpal tunnel syndrome was to take some pain-numbing medications or steroids, wear comfortable wrist support for gaming, or undergo surgery. However, these options are not always optimal. Drugs can make your mind fuzzy while wrist and hand braces can impede dexterity while gaming. On the other hand, surgery is costly and sometimes can leave you worse off than before.
Fortunately, chiropractic care has been found to be a safe, inexpensive, and highly-effective solution to carpal tunnel pain. Chiropractors use techniques such as spinal adjustments and manipulation to realign spines with abnormal S curvature. These techniques are not invasive yet they are highly effective in dealing with a broad range of musculoskeletal problems caused by excessive gaming and computer use. Chiropractors also use spinal adjustments and manipulations to treat musculoskeletal problems that cause back, shoulder, and neck pain caused by physical injuries. Further, chiropractors can prescribe certain forms of exercise as a solution.
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