Do you play video games often? Do you notice yourself leaning forward while playing? Is your neck sore after you finally call it quits for the night or sore the next morning? Video games are more popular today than ever before. People who play video games spend an average of seven hours playing each week. This is usually because video games tend to be enjoyable, addictive, and encourage people to take part for prolong periods of time. Conversely, while video games can create a moment of pleasure, they are also associated with various physical health problems. Here are some main factors:
- The first thing considered is poor posture. Poor posture is widespread with those who play video games and correspondingly living sedentary lives. No one develops poor posture overnight. It occurs gradually with the aid of lazy posture and lack of body support while seated. Video games don’t have a limit on time which some gamers take an average of 5-150 hours to finish while others set up with shorter game times and multiple rounds. Either circumstance, video games are the ideal justification for your body to get comfortable in poor posture. This is also a significant cause for eye strain. Proper posture and body mechanics are essential. Taking breaks is important to benefit your body stretch and break a routine that could possibly lead you down an unhealthy route.
- Your neck can be aggravated with extensive time while operating a controller. Do you find soreness afterwards or when waking up the following day? Most people tend to lean forward which pulls on the musculature in the region. This is an indicator that you are straining your neck while playing video games and not adhering to appropriate game posture. It is crucial to be cognizant of your posture and have intermittent breaks while gaming.
- Upper back pain can certainly develop especially those with forward head posture. Similar to the neck pain, gamers tend to lean forward with the head. The muscles of the upper back attach to the cervical spine and skull overwork to oppose gravity to support your neck. Leading to strain on the muscles and spine over time this can completely cause pain, reduce mobility, and even create respiratory issues. Good posture can easily help inhibit upper back pain and chiropractic care can help alleviate the pain to get you back on a healthy way.
- Repetitive stress injuries, specifically of the hands and arms, are also quite frequent in gamers. One of the most common injuries is wrist pain and thumb pain stems due to the repetitive stress. Most gamers play through it and do not take breaks or pursue appropriate care. This leads to more stress and the condition worsening developing symptoms of numbness or weakness. Gamer’s thumb (pain at the base of the thumb) can be prevented with exercises and strengthening, as well as breaks from gaming.
Although chiropractors can’t help you play better, we can help those aches and pains from the long hours of gaming. If you are developing forward head posture or musculoskeletal pain, you may want to seek out chiropractic care. Remember, the goal of a chiropractor is to help you balance and fix your whole body. Chiropractic care can help you remove pain, adjust your posture and care for your health in an overall manner. Call to schedule your appointment today with Fogarty Chiropractic Life Clinic at (321) 636-5200.
