Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/41B3FV_b1V4

 

Competitive electronic gamers risk eye, neck and back, wrist, and hand overuse disorders.  E-Sports medicine investigators at the New York Institute of Technology review current knowledge about the risks.

 

Esport athletes practice upwards of 10 hours a day.  Their eyes and hands make more than 10 moves a second.  

 

Some 56% of gamers develop blurry vision, low back pain, and muscle tension headaches.  Pain in the hand and wrist due to carpal tunnel inflammation and tendinitis develop in 30% of pro players.

 

Professional gaming and the devices used for practice and play must limit the frequency and duration of sitting, gazing, and hand motions.  Otherwise, players will face disability retirements at very young ages.

 

Hallie Zwibel, Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue, Amanda DeFeo, Sheldon Yao. An Osteopathic Physician's Approach to the Esports Athlete. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2019; 119 (11): 756 DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2019.125

 

#Egaming #blurryvision #backpain #headaches