Gaming Injury Prevention (Injury Types)

There are three main injury topics related to the gaming community:

1. Musculoskeletal injuries
2. Vision Problems
3. Weight Control

Musculoskeletal- These injuries include the complaint of bodily pain, in the hands and wrists, back, and neck areas for example. These problems can be caused by improper posture, or holding an awkward position, for long periods of time. More specifically, longer playing sessions can cause an increased likelihood for lower back pain.

Vision- While it is not technically an injury types, injuries that are related with the eye can impair vision. Extremely long amounts of time viewing the screen can cause eye strains, since the eyes are not meant for longer electronic device sessions. Headaches, dizziness and vomiting can be caused by playing video games too long.

Weight- Again, while not really an injury, can cause injury due to health effects. The amount of time playing video games and the amount of junk food ingested are sometimes proportional. This can be detrimental to a child, and even teens.

Ways to combat these injuries

• Take short, frequent breaks
• Regular exercises
• Streching during and after a gaming session. (see Gaming Injury Prevention 1 for a link to hand stretches)
• and to Rest Easy!