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I have gamer's thumb! It sucks!
- Thread starter Metalhead
- Start date
I get horrible back, neck, shoulder and arm pain when gaming. I really have to be motivated to play something or I feel really uncomfortable and can't concentrate and enjoy the game. But even still I can't stay seated for more than an hour usually at a time. I miss the days when I could really enjoy a game for hours on end.
It's definitely a good idea to take breaks. Whether you are doing something active or not particularly active. The human body doesn't seem to take kindly to too much of one thing
It's definitely a good idea to take breaks. Whether you are doing something active or not particularly active. The human body doesn't seem to take kindly to too much of one thing
I've had "gamer's arm/shoulder/elbow" ever since... er... (looks it up) since Minecraft first showed up a million years ago.
I went too far using the mouse, you see. I've got free time, all the time, and Minecraft was something special, and it uses the mouse a lot, and.... yeah. Once it hit, it REALLY hit.
I actually had a period of about... 2 years, I think it was, where I just outright could not use a mouse for gaming. I rigged up my Playstation controller to emulate the mouse & keyboard for games that had no controller support. I tell ya, my control scheme for that game specifically was like the worst one you could ever find. But I got so stuck to it that I still use it to this day even though that game now supports controllers properly.
These days, I wear an arm brace at all times and I use a vertical mouse (and in my opinion, vertical mice should be the standard... seriously, try one, they make normal computer mice seem like a design error) and I go to physical therapy, which keeps the pain at bay. I've improved a lot... like, A LOT... but the condition isnt going away. I still have to be careful and there are certain types of games I wont touch (anything that requires I click a million times). I often still use the controller to emulate mouse/keyboard depending on the game... fortunately Steam comes with like 5 billionty accessibility functions these days, so it's very easy.
Controller shape also matters too. I've got an Xbox Series X, and the controller that came with that is the best one I've ever seen, which is saying something. In terms of like, comfort and ergonomics and all that.
I always cringe a bit when I see something like pro gamers playing freaking Starcraft in national tournaments or something and clicking 10 billion times per second, knowing how much practice goes into something like that. I think quite a few of them will be regretting that later on, but they wont have any clue what's happening until it hits that snapping point. And if it does, that is pretty much guaranteed to end their tournament career.
And I tell ya, tendon/nerve/joint pain can be overwhelming.
Granted, different people are more/less susceptible to it... I overall have a tendency towards chronic pain. My first incident was actually in my lower back, I still remember I was just walking through the house one day, and then very abruptly I was on the floor. With gaming, I was never the sort of player to do like, marathon sessions... I dont sit still well enough for that... but even like, 3 hour sessions can add up, particularly when you're also doing other computer/whatever tasks in the same day.
Two things to try: Advil, and ice.
These arent for getting rid of the pain though. They are for controlling inflammation. It's the #1 thing that's been drilled into my head over years of physical therapy and doctors and such.
Unfortunately, this type of pain is very hard to cancel out via meds. When I was at my worst, stuff like Valium or Vicoden would do nothing, and I was taking like 4 Advil every 6 hours. Though that was for the lower back pain, not for my arm. But tendon/nerve/joint pain is just like that.
Maybe consider seeing a doctor.
And take it seriously. You dont want to end up where I'm at. It's worse than how I describe it.
I went too far using the mouse, you see. I've got free time, all the time, and Minecraft was something special, and it uses the mouse a lot, and.... yeah. Once it hit, it REALLY hit.
I actually had a period of about... 2 years, I think it was, where I just outright could not use a mouse for gaming. I rigged up my Playstation controller to emulate the mouse & keyboard for games that had no controller support. I tell ya, my control scheme for that game specifically was like the worst one you could ever find. But I got so stuck to it that I still use it to this day even though that game now supports controllers properly.
These days, I wear an arm brace at all times and I use a vertical mouse (and in my opinion, vertical mice should be the standard... seriously, try one, they make normal computer mice seem like a design error) and I go to physical therapy, which keeps the pain at bay. I've improved a lot... like, A LOT... but the condition isnt going away. I still have to be careful and there are certain types of games I wont touch (anything that requires I click a million times). I often still use the controller to emulate mouse/keyboard depending on the game... fortunately Steam comes with like 5 billionty accessibility functions these days, so it's very easy.
Controller shape also matters too. I've got an Xbox Series X, and the controller that came with that is the best one I've ever seen, which is saying something. In terms of like, comfort and ergonomics and all that.
I always cringe a bit when I see something like pro gamers playing freaking Starcraft in national tournaments or something and clicking 10 billion times per second, knowing how much practice goes into something like that. I think quite a few of them will be regretting that later on, but they wont have any clue what's happening until it hits that snapping point. And if it does, that is pretty much guaranteed to end their tournament career.
And I tell ya, tendon/nerve/joint pain can be overwhelming.
Granted, different people are more/less susceptible to it... I overall have a tendency towards chronic pain. My first incident was actually in my lower back, I still remember I was just walking through the house one day, and then very abruptly I was on the floor. With gaming, I was never the sort of player to do like, marathon sessions... I dont sit still well enough for that... but even like, 3 hour sessions can add up, particularly when you're also doing other computer/whatever tasks in the same day.
Two things to try: Advil, and ice.
These arent for getting rid of the pain though. They are for controlling inflammation. It's the #1 thing that's been drilled into my head over years of physical therapy and doctors and such.
Unfortunately, this type of pain is very hard to cancel out via meds. When I was at my worst, stuff like Valium or Vicoden would do nothing, and I was taking like 4 Advil every 6 hours. Though that was for the lower back pain, not for my arm. But tendon/nerve/joint pain is just like that.
Maybe consider seeing a doctor.
And take it seriously. You dont want to end up where I'm at. It's worse than how I describe it.
I think the Xbox series X/S controller is really good. Its not just the shape for me, its the texture of the plastic. It always feels like I'm holding a smoothed pebble that just kinda stays put and then the grid like texture on the back just sits nicely and doesn't slip around.
The ps4 controller always felt kinda slippy so I unconsciously gripped it harder. I haven't really used my ps4 much since I got it, like 10 years ago. Seriously, its basically factory fresh. But yeah the controller after a bit of use kinda feels a bit too slick and when I pick it up it feels a bit like its creaking and the shell is starting to come loose. Its a bit like someone has gripped it and twisted it a few times.
I much prefer the Xbox controller. I tend to use ps4 controllers for emulators etc because I seem to have a talent for finding them for cheap. I'm a bit too lazy to sync my Xbox controller to different devices each time.
I think I’ll pass.
Yeah you've probably strained a tendon. NSAIDs (like ibuprofen or naproxen) and ice/heat. And stretching and rest from the activity that caused the pain. That should resolve it. If not somewhat improved in about 10-14 days you might want to contact a doctor. You can also purchase a splint that would brace your thumb if you are so inclined.
Me, too. Arthritic thumbs and my knees hurt at night when I'm trying to sleep. My thumbs are sometimes so painful that I struggle to open jars and containers.
I already heard one person tell me to give up the games over this - because games are a "waste of time and life", says the woman who watches Married at First Sight (not my mom, my boss).
Did you laugh when she said that or just shrug it off?
I shrugged it off.
Probably the better option. People who dismiss you for your interests aren’t worth your time.
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