Question for "older" gamers

[Dobie]

I'm just curious how many "older" gamers are beginning to experience joint pain or limitations in mobility as a result of their gaming. I'm soon to be 30, and have begun noticing my thumb joints in particular getting more sensitive to long gaming sessions... inflammation, pain, limited mobility, popping, cracking, etc. My doctor says its osetoarthritis, from over-use (I didn't tell him I'm a gamer). It makes sense, but I wasn't expecting it this early.

I'm not "hardcore" in that I spend 8 hours a day playing... more like 4-8 hours a week. So I'm just curious if anybody else my age or older is starting to notice the same type of symptoms? I figure I'm still young enough to slow it down, but I don't want to give up gaming altogether!

Just looking for input... wasn't sure what forum this would fit in best, so please move if its more appropriate for OT.

[Ed Oscuro]

I see an autofire switch in your future (depends on what you play).

Also, stop using first-party Nintendo controllers (except for the Wii ones that don't require so much repetitive motion).

Finally, did the doc prescribe some pills for osteo? I know they're out there and people use them.

[Clownzilla]

I know that I can't even attempt to play Track & Field on my NES anymore:)

[Dobie]

Just some anti inflammatories for when it flares up, but nothing major. I suspect its just strong aspirin. I notice it most with my GBA and DS in particular... I've stopped using those, or play less "strenous" games. NES doesn't bother me as much for some reason, but if I bust out Mega Man or similarly "intense" games, I can't play long.

Getting older sucks, I'm finding out. :-|

[tom]

I recently played Enduro to stage 7, so I was quite happy about my hand-to-eye coordination, which saved me and my car from accidents (from bad drivers) quite a few times. I'm old too, but the pain's everywhere else, like knees, back etc...

[Superman]

I know that I can't even attempt to play Track & Field on my NES anymore:)

It's funny because for me, I wasn't that good at Track & Field when I was younger, but I am better at it now. That isn't to say I am like a couple of my friends who can fill up the power bar just about as well as a turbo controller, but I noticeably better at it.

In specific regards to the question, no, I haven't experienced any game related fatigues or injuries.

[duo_r]

use controllers that are comfortable. Consider switching your retrogaming to a Turbografx/PC Engine since almost all the controllers come with Turbo by default. Honestly tho, I think i get more issues from typing VS gaming. I find my arcade sticks don't bother me much when I play arcade games (much better than pads).


It's funny because for me, I wasn't that good at Track & Field when I was younger, but I am better at it now. That isn't to say I am like a couple of my friends who can fill up the power bar just about as well as a turbo controller, but I noticeably better at it.

In specific regards to the question, no, I haven't experienced any game related fatigues or injuries.

[7th lutz]

I am in my early 30's.

My best advice is use controllers that are comfortable. I use Euro 7800 controllers to play Atari 7800 games because my arms can't handle the pro line controllers for a long time anymore.

The catch is I didn't use proline controllers for 10 years and my arms started to bother me when I used the prolines when I was in my early 20's.

I found more issues with typing than gaming for myself concerning my hands. I really can't tell a difference outside of a 7800 proline controller in terms of gaming. A 7800 proline controller has a bad reputation anyway.

Most of my problems are with my legs, not my hands anyway.

[smork]

I'm in my mid/late 30's, no problems. I pretty much feel the same way I did when I was much younger after gaming.

[shopkins]

I'm 32. I have trouble with wrist pain sometimes after gaming for a long time. But most of my wrist pain is caused by the fact that I type and use a mouse all day for work and Internet.

[Pantechnicon]

39 here. Gaming doesn't cause me any pain yet, regardless of the controllers. But I do feel some agitation in my wrists and hands when I spend too much time at a PC. I should really invest in one of those mouse pads with the gel-filled wrist rests.

[8-bitNesMan]

I'm 31 and the carpal tunnel hasn't got me yet, thank God :) I have noticed a numbness in my hands when I sit in the same position in my chair too long while gaming. Diabetes runs in the family so I guess I got that to look forward to....

[kaedesdisciple]

Oh man thanks for giving me something to look forward to lol. I'm about to celebrate 27 in a few months, so it looks like I got a couple of good gaming years left before the arthritis I am destined to get kicks in. I can move my hands freakishly fast so I am my own turbo fire, plus many of my muscles and ligaments can extend more than most peoples'. The tradeoff is that I will get arthritis. Oh well, I knew it wouldn't last forever.

[Damaramu]

33 here. After extended sessions of any fighting game, my hands start feeling a little..."tight". This requires me to pause, pop my knuckles (as needed) and shake out my hands.

My profession has me working on the computer all day, so I get carpal tunnel related aches in my forearms.

[Trebuken]

You need to take more breaks and get your circulation going in your hands during them.

I suspect you should stop gaming for some months and give your hands some recuperation...I had discomfort for awhile but got away from console gaming and into PC Gaming. Switching from a controller to a mouse and keyboard gave many hands time to return to normal.

I drank more than my share of milk when I was growing up and am trying to do so again now that I think it will be relevant as I get older...

[Rogmeister]

Everyone is different. I am 56 (will be 57 in May) and have had no problems with my hands or wrists. Seeing the screen may be a different matter...

[The Clonus Horror]

33 here, and have been gaming since 1980 and drumming since 1986. I would say I drum 8-10 hours a week and game about the same. No pain yet, though fighting games do cause some tightness. I also lift weights, working my chest, back, and arms twice/week--not to get buff, just to avoid getting "trucker body," as I drive around a lot doing property inspections. I recommend taking some ibuprofen before gaming if you experience pain or inflammation. Also, drinking cherry juice or eating cherries helps too.

[aingevt]

I'm 27 and I already can't play any Contra game except 3 for too long. After I beat Contra 4 I could hardly use my right thumb for weeks. It sucks cause now I'm scared to play it for fear it will happen again. When I do play it, the machine gun is my friend.

[Cobra Commander]

The only time I hurt playing right now, is during long sessions of Rock Band. My left hand tends to cramp up far more than if I were playing a real guitar.

[Gunface]

I get a little bit of wrist pain from PC games with my mouse.

I have had a few joint pains here and there in my thumbs during long sessions with a gamepad though. But most of the pain in my hands is due to playing guitar. When I stretch my hand to reach 4 or 5 frets away or do a lot of sliding I have some joint pain.

Eye strain is more of a problem for me with vids.

[jperryss]

I'm the OP's age, no joint or mobility issues but I do get eye strain from sitting at the comp screen for extended periods.

[muchomojo]

I've never had pain from gaming. I don't play hours a day but I play a good bit, and I don't ever see this becoming a problem.

[duo_r]

here is somehing that is annoying for me, after playing PSP for a while, my hands gets numb because the system is hitting my circulation somewhere. the original GBA did not do that, I did get a little of the same with my GBA SP. The DS lite never does that to me.

[stimmyjimmel]

I'm only 24 but i've had minor problems with my wrists off and on for years.

i plowed through alot of fallout 3 a couple weeks ago and that compounded with playing street fighter 4 with some friends my wrists havent been doing to well lately.

I've also had cysts where thumb meets wrist and the Doc said it was due to overuse.

[LifeGame]

Im 27 and no real problems so far and i play an average of 3-4 hours per day and all types of games, from Contra to Chrono Trigger.

[TwinChargers]

27 year old here. I find its not exactly the extended periods of game playing that cramps up the hands, its more or less the system I'm playing with that causes the problems. My GameBoy micro, while nice, seems to cause the biggest of the problems.

[jdc]

I'm 49 and am intent on wearing my body out so that there's nothing worth salvaging when I kick off, lol. As far as gaming is concerned, some controllers are nicer than others. My PSP caused me pain and I went and bought one of those snap-in "grip bases" that turn your PSP into the same shape as a PS2 controller. THEY are a Godsend. You can PSP all day without discomfort. Go get one. I find that the Wii wasn't good for the osteoarthritis. I like the big Duke Xbox controller. Ditto for Pelican's larger 3rd party DC controller....and I have small hands. Ergonomically, the nicest controller that I've found is the Cube controller. I tend to lean forward as I get into a game and so my neck tends to get sore after an hour or two. I need one set of glasses to play a game...and a set of reading glasses to check manuals and guides, lol.

As I've mentioned before, I play bass in real life, and so Guitar Hero isn't bad at all. I have arthritis in my hands and got a parttime job in a pizzeria as a doughmaker. I've kept it for 4 years now. The kneading action of making the dough has been incredibly therapeutic and I now suffer no more hand pain whatsoever, which helps my bass playing and puts a little extra gaming cash in my wallet at the same time.

I've been a lifelong cyclist, work in a bike shop as my full time job, and have really worn out many of my joints because of it. My knees ache from pushing road bikes to their limit, and my lower back aches from the pounding of 20+ years of mountain biking. My shoulders ache from trials and extreme riding. My body is very tired, but my mind isn't, lol. For any aging cyclist out there, swallow your pride and use a triple crankset on your roadbike. It really helps to ease knee pain.

[Joe West]

been playing a few years, no pains yet........

[Dobie]

Thanks everyone for the responses! I would have thought more people would experience problems... perhaps its a good thing there aren't as many as I would have anticipated. I guess I'll just have to pace myself more. No more weekend binges after a long hard week. :-(

[demen999]

I'm 32. I have trouble with wrist pain sometimes after gaming for a long time. But most of my wrist pain is caused by the fact that I type and use a mouse all day for work and Internet.

Same here, graphic designer so it's all I do. I am going to be 30 soon. I did notice that when I was playing Guitar Hero a couple of days ago some wrist and finger discomfort while pressing the color keys. I crack my knuckles a lot so that might have something to do with it as well.

[thom_m]

28 here. So far, no hands and wrists problems - and I work on a PC all day. However, I was very proud of how fast I could hit buttons (I rocked on MKI bonus levels), and I'm not as good today.

I'm also a guitar/bass player since I was 15, and THAT is starting to become more difficult. Last saturday I went to band practice for the first time since December, and my index finger twitched hurtfully while I was playing. I hadn't played in a while, didn't warm my hands up and everything but, still, it was weird...

EDIT: I play games an average of 7-8 hours a week. It's not much, I guess. I don't know if I would feel anything if I played more...

[GM80]

I'm nearing 30 and my hands tend to get stiff every few hours during the day. A quick stretch and a round of popped knuckles gets me back in gear again ... but that won't always be the case. I'm an avid pianist and I spend all day in front of a computer, and I hadn't really considered a life of holding game controllers (5-6 hours per week) as a potential contributor.

[thom_m]

I just gotta say that, being the suggestionable pantsy (nice word!) that I am, I'm feeling my hands a little stiff now as I work (seriously). All because of this thread, dammit...

[HYB]

here is somehing that is annoying for me, after playing PSP for a while, my hands gets numb because the system is hitting my circulation somewhere. the original GBA did not do that, I did get a little of the same with my GBA SP. The DS lite never does that to me.

This one happens to me too quite often, I dunno what's up with the PSP. My wrists and hands are pretty weird, I'm only 18 but I use my wrists a lot since I draw every day, so they are pretty loose and crackle and pop, so they tire pretty easily. Same with my fingers, my thumb gets worn down pretty easily and it's gotten stuck in the same position for a few days like, 2-3 times (ah, good times with Metroid Prime). I mostly have trouble with bigger controllers, like the original Xbox one, which I can't use at all since my hands are way too small.

[scooterb23]

34 here, and a long time arthritis sufferer. I really like larger controllers (viva la Duke!), and am starting to really appreciate gel grips on controllers.

The DS Lite can go to hell, thing is way too small. I hope my Phat never dies on me...I'd cry.

Having said that, the DS was the biggest cause of pain when I'd play, because of that stupidly small stylus. My hand would begin hurting after 15-20 minutes.

So I found these..

http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/7974/7974542_sa.jpg

Those have saved my life. I can play all day now on the DS completely pain free.

[Flack]

Like Scoot and a couple others alluded to, I don't really have problems with regular controllers, but the handheld gaming systems can make my hands cramp up. A couple of years ago when my son was in tumbling class, I would sit out in the car and play games on my GBA. His class was only an hour long and my hands would be hurting by then. I don't do as much playing on the DS Lite but anything with shoulder buttons tends to put cramps in the middle of my hand's back.

I had related this to poorly designed consoles, not getting old. Sigh.

[c0ldb33r]

29 here - today I had to buy a wrist splint for my right hand. I think its carpel tunnel (sp?) :(

[demen999]

29 here - today I had to buy a wrist splint for my right hand. I think its carpel tunnel (sp?) :(

I might be near that as well bud. Sucks, makes you feel extra old :p

[c0ldb33r]

Sucks, makes you feel extra old :p
Yupp, it sure does. Although if anyone thinks they may have carpel tunnel, get a wrist splint ASAP. It really does help. I'm trying to get my doctor to give me a referral to a specialist to get it looked at. I don't know if it's due to using the computer or videogames though, since it's only in one hand. You'd think it would be in both if it was PC/video game related.

[shopkins]

The only time I hurt playing right now, is during long sessions of Rock Band. My left hand tends to cramp up far more than if I were playing a real guitar.

I didn't notice this post earlier, but this is what causes me the most gaming pain. Either Rock Band or Guitar Hero. Sometimes it gets so bad after a while that I have to stop.

[rpepper9]

Just some anti inflammatories for when it flares up, but nothing major. I suspect its just strong aspirin. I notice it most with my GBA and DS in particular... I've stopped using those, or play less "strenous" games. NES doesn't bother me as much for some reason, but if I bust out Mega Man or similarly "intense" games, I can't play long.

Getting older sucks, I'm finding out. :-|

Turning 30 is not getting old! Stop being a pansy and get out there and play, Soldier!

[2Dskillz]

Almost 29 here and I have been having problems for a couple years. I do work with computers so also have a lot of keyboard and mouse use. For DS a large stylus is very important for any real use (Phantom Hourglass). This is one of the many reasons I love the NES Advantage, it is much more comfortable and easy on the hands.

The pain I mostly get is in my thumb down through my wrist. Seems to come from games with alot of button pressing more than anything, that and guitar hero can be killer. When this pain comes up an anti-inflamitory and a wrist brace (one with the metal strip) seem to correct things. The main thing is to not keep playing when the pain starts, give it time to heal. Smaller controllers (portable systems) will usually always be harder on you.

[nebrazca78]

I will be 30 in a few days but have not had too many problems. When Street Fighter IV came out I played for about 8 hours the first day and my left thumb was destroyed. The 360 D-pad is too stiff. That put me on the video game bench for two days. Previous to that a few 8+ hour Halo 2 / 3 stints caused some serious aching in the hands but nothing lasting. It must be a 360 thing, I played Lemmings for SMS for about 12 hours in a row with a standard Genesis 6-button with no problems. I get more joint pain from using the scroll wheel on the mouse repeatedly than anything else.

[retro junkie]

I'm 54 and I have had no problems, so far. I am a retro gamer only. Love the arcade type games the most, especially the shoot-em-ups where there is a lot of button tapping. Anything from Defender to R-Type, Last Resort, etc. And I would also throw the old 2D fighters in there too, KOF, Samurai Spirits, etc. I'm still hanging in there.

:guitar: