Professional athletes have a common fear that injury will end their career before they decide to retire on their own terms. When it comes to an esports injury, carpal tunnel is at the top of the list for an issue that can quickly cause a lot of complaints for gaming athletes and shut down a gaming career.
Carpal tunnel shouldn’t be confused with generalized wrist pain, but any discomfort in a player’s wrist shouldn’t be ignored at the first hint that something doesn’t feel right. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that bother sufferers and can last long after the gaming session stops.
The pain usually feels like numbness or tingling that is worse with play and during normal activity. You may also notice a reduction in grip strength. Unfortunately, the best solution to prevent these symptoms from getting worse is to stop the activity that is causing the injury. Breaks must be taken.
Most gaming injuries fall into the category of “overuse injury” or are defined as microtrauma. This is a different type of injury compared to injuries to a soccer, rugby, or basketball player. Microtrauma injuries develop over time and can be difficult to heal if the injured area is not allowed adequate rest time to heal.
There are stretches, exercises, braces, and specially designed keyboards, mice, and mouse pads that help prevent injury before it develops.
Follow these tips to reduce the chance that an esports injury will prevent you from playing.
1 – Stretch your neck, arms and wrists before, during and after a gaming session
2 – Take “standing” breaks of 5 to 10 minutes every hour.
3 – If you have any pain or discomfort; stop playing and use ice wrapped in a towel for 15-20 minutes to reduce swelling
4 – Seek help from a medical provider who can properly treat your eSports injury
Professional gamers spend countless hours practicing and competing. The unspoken downside of esports compared to other professional sports is that there is no real “off season” for rest and rehab. This greatly contributes to an injury being aggravated by a lack of enforced rest time. Look at it this way, players in the NBA, MLB, and NFL have anywhere from 130 to 200+ days in the off-season to allow injuries to heal before the next season begins. Professional players can literally compete for hours every day with 0 days off-season. This helps create and perpetuate the eSports injury dilemma. Finding the right balance before and after an injury occurs must be managed properly or it will lead to early retirement and long-term health problems for the serious player.
