Playing video games is one of people’s favourite activities to do for fun. It can also be considered a hobby since gamers like to collect skins or even physical figures of online game characters. Gaming is also quite affordable, as you don’t really need expensive hardware to play your favourite games.
One of the best things about video games is you can emerge into unique environments under unique characters and explore other worlds. But this great feature of gaming is also a disadvantage because people tend to spend too much time in front of the screen, which, in time, damages their health. In the UK, the average gamer spends up to five hours a day per week playing video games, but the statistic shows that some can spend even more than 20 hours connected to a game.
In the long term, playing a lot of games can have a few positive effects on our brains. For instance, they contribute to attention improvement and increase visuospatial skills. However, games can also be addictive, which is a serious and complex issue in analysing the adverse effects on the brain.
What’s sure is that prolonged hours playing video games can lead to injuries, which can be prevented.
Eye strain is a common problem for all gamers
Of course, the first body part affected by gaming too much includes our eyes since they’re exposed to the blue light from monitors. The common risk here is vision problems, but it can sometimes degenerate into cataracts and eye cancer.
Unfortunately, players confessed they’re preparing for gaming tournaments by playing more than 50 hours per week, during which they don’t give much importance to sleep and nutrition. Sometimes, the company supporting them is pressuring players into winning, which, if it triggers serious eye problems, can be solved with a personal injury claim, according to https://www.personalinjuryclaimsuk.org.uk/.
There are a few ways to reduce the effects of blue light. The first would be to reduce screen time, which may not be realistic for professional players. However, they can try avoiding playing at night so as not to affect their melatonin. Protection glasses are also necessary, and a screen filter also decreases the amount of blue light. In some cases, doctors might advise players to take certain supplements to ease eye strain.
Neck pain is the worst discomfort for players
Sometimes, gamers get so absorbed in the playthrough that they’re not paying attention to their posture anymore. Therefore, they might have a poor neck, back and leg position, which all contribute to neck pain. Sitting too much in a weird position can lead to mental stress, a herniated disk and even pinched nerves.
If you feel like the pain is unbearable, you must seek a doctor’s diagnosis to find the best treatment to cure your problem. Typical solutions include taking pain medication to help your muscles relax and heal. You may also reach for a physical therapist to strengthen the muscles and improve flexibility.
However, if things get serious, you may need alternative therapies, steroid injections and TENS
units. These treatments are required when the pain is getting worse because they get to the nerve roots and treat the problem more efficiently.
Gamer’s thumb can be permanent in lack of recovery
Gamer’s thumb, also known as De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, is triggered by repetitive movements of the thumbs when using a PlayStation, the keyboard and the mouse for too long. When tendons get inflamed and irritated, the player will feel pain at the base of the thumb but also during grasping, turning or making a fist.
In most cases, this is a problem easy to treat. You must only include a few exercises in your daily routine to avoid injuries. The main goal is strengthening the muscles, so you may need some equipment to achieve that.
For instance, you could use a dumbbell for exercises that require wrist extension and finger curl. A resistance band is also great for improving the hands’ strength. If you want to deal with the problem only short-term, you can buy a thumb support and wear it when you’re not playing to limit your range of motion.
Sciatica is also uncomfortable for players
The main trigger of most injuries as a gamer includes poor posture. This is also the case for sciatica, a serious condition of the sciatic nerve that gets irritated by a hip muscle. Gamers frequent it because they’re sitting for many hours in a bad posture for their health. This health issue leads to pain in the outer part of the thigh, lower left and even the skin on the foot. Besides pain, gamers might feel numbness, tingling and weakness in the knee when trying to flex it.
There are many ways to prevent this problem. First, you must check your body position and ensure you’re seated correctly throughout the entire playing period. Your back must be pressed against the backrest so you won’t fall into the shrimp position.
Moreover, you must choose an ergonomic design for your gaming station beside the correct position. There are numerous videos on the internet on how famous gamers created their station that includes enough space for the monitors, lights everywhere and proper chairs to avoid any type of health issue. Of course, you should expect it to be a little bit expensive, but it’ll make a considerable difference for your health. Of course, in some cases, you might want to consider manual therapy, heat therapy and other therapeutic exercises to treat your sciatica if it’s too advanced.
Final considerations
Being a gamer is surely fun, especially with all the new games being released often. The visuals are better by the year, and the games are not that expensive. However, if you’re working as an eSports worker or are simply a fan of gaming, you might be challenged by poor posture and prolonged playing hours that trigger other health problems. You can prevent them by exercising regularly, but therapy is also an excellent solution for treating back problems, for instance.
