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I was wondering if anyone else got this and if they know ways on how to keep it to a minimum. It only happens when I play StarCraft games (more from Brood War than from SC2).
What happens is that after playing about 3 or 4 games my hands start to feel extremely stiff and painful to move (almost like cemented in the home row position for touch typing). My fingers look and feel bent in a very unnatural position and just refuse to move. There's also a faint pins and needles feeling in them (though not as prominent as say a leg falling asleep). I usually finish the match I'm in and quit after that. It's really bothersome when I want to keep playing but it greatly reduced my ability to play matches.
Anyone have ideas or some tips to help make it go away?
 
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Netherlands5738 Posts
Check your sitting posture and try to stay as relaxed as possible.
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stretch your wrists out in between games, and when you aren't playing starcraft or on the computer sit with a pillow or something to keep your wrists in their natural position if nothing else some ice for no more than 20 minutes at a time could go a long way
i had some wrist issues myself and that is what i did it took a few weeks but eventually i was back to being able to play as many games as i wanted. they still act up from time to time but overall much better than they were
best of luck, hope this helps
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So there's a lot of things you can consider here. I've had similar issues before playing Half-Life Deathmatch.
1) What kind of mouse style do you use? Some people "palm" their mouse, others "claw". I claw the mouse and I suspect many people do when they play Starcraft, but relax my hand down when I play another type of game like Diablo 3. Obviously clawing is harder on the hands. Maybe you could adopt an altered hand position. It can take a while to get used to but it might be worth it in the long run.
2) What kind of mouse do you have? There are a variety of mice for different purposes including some designed for long term gaming with less physical strain. From the top of my head there's a Razer mouse called the DeathAdder designed for long game sessions. It's about $60NZD(no idea in USD). Then there's mice designed for high accuracy which I have, like the Razer Spectre (what I use).
3) How high is your desk and how high is your seat? I was on a job for a client and my hands seized up after a few weeks working there. I ended up getting one of those gel pads that you put under your wrist and it helped a lot. Whatever you do aim to have it so there is as little bend in your wrist as possible while you play.
4) How's your posture? I have this habit of slumping down further and further during a game of Starcraft which makes things progressively worse, so I have to consciously sit up straight every few minutes.
5) What sort of seat do you have? I have a char with arm rests... and can I say it makes a HUGE differnence for me. I can often play with my elbows relaxed on the rests. At work, without it, I find myself getting a sore back and hands constantly, but at home I can game for hours without any discomfort.
And yes some stretches would be good because it sounds like you've already done some damage. Even just putting your hand palm down on a table and stretching it at 90 degrees for a while can help, and giving them a shake out.
Hope something here is of use.
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United States10546 Posts
I always see bro's loosening up their wrists. I usually have this stretch on my fingers that i do, basically pull them out a bit (not like rip them out kind, but like kind of pull them out until you feel the tendons stretching). then push them backwards and squeeze your first a couple of times. really works for me.
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starcraft is so fucking involved, man. you get into it hardcore, seriously.
it's intense.
if you lose it's the end of the world. in my opinion
becausee it means something man
you're putting yourself onthe line out there it's like your brain and your dexterity and just the whole shebang and it's all just hanging out there
if you lose then it's over, i'd say
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The muscles in your hands and wrists respond similarly to your other soft tissues. "Stretching" probably won't achieve much because idealy you play with your wrists and fingers in a neutral position, not at end range. What might give results is myofascial release and massage. I've used a lacrosse ball on my forearms with good success. Thumbs and fingers get the job done just fine though.
The further you are from a natural hand/shoulder position the more difficult it will be to relax and play your best (and for the longest). Little position errors will form regions of tension which will snake their way up your arms to your shoulders/neck/traps. It's analogous to form in weightlifting. If you aren't using correct form then what are you doing to achieve good form?
Other things that are simple but often overlooked are hydration and nutrition. Undercarbed and dehydrated is a recipe for a crash and slow recovery. No, that Coke is not good for your gaming session. Try water and a banana 
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Try keeping them warm with a heat sac or something. I'm sure you've seen BW progamers do that while in the both pregame.
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Ugh, pain is usually a strong indication that you should probably stop doing it, for a while at least. Have you tried that?
If your livelihood is not dependent on it (like some progamers), it's generally not worth it trading your health for ephemeral utility.
Also, consult a doctor.
edit:
I am so blown away by your tenacity, I'm going to write more on why it's a stupid idea.
What happens is that after playing about 3 or 4 games my hands start to feel extremely stiff and painful to move (almost like cemented in the home row position for touch typing). My fingers look and feel bent in a very unnatural position and just refuse to move.There's also a faint pins and needles feeling in them (though not as prominent as say a leg falling asleep). I usually finish the match I'm in and quit after that. It's really bothersome when I want to keep playing but it greatly reduced my ability to play matches.
It blows my mind that after the part describing your pain, you proceed to say that you
a) keep on playing until the end of your stupid game (instead of quitting right away), and
b) ultimately want to man it out and keep on playing
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How fast are you playing? How much of what you're doing is literally just spam (like 11 22 112211221122112 etc)?
I find when I force myself to play faster than is normal for me it can make my wrist stiff. However, my apm has gone up in what is normal to me to points that used to make me feel stiff, and I attribute that you more of those actions being selections from the mouse and actual orders, rather than just cycling through control group hotkeys.
It's worth checking the posture of your hands too, you might be exerting more strain on your tendons than necessary. You're making tiny, tiny movements which ordinarily cause no stress, but if you are already flexing your tendons near their max, even those little movements will hurt a lot.
It would be cool if we had info on Flash's therapy that he underwent for his wrist because its very relevent, but in the mean time take a week off SC, and if it hurts again in a week see a doctor. Especially if it hurts just doing normal tasks like typing.
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Just get robotic hand implants like Lee Young Ho and become stronger than ever.
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stretch. a lot. I do maybe one stretch for like 10 seconds, and about 15-20 stretches a day. If you're not typing, or if your waiting for something, stretch a little
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My gameplay is not that strong. My APM hovers around 100 natural for BW (I used to spam in the past up to like 200ish) and lower than that for SC2. My chair is probably a big factor in being an extremely old office chair (no natural recline or anything fancy). I use the claw grip for almost everything (got so used to it). My mouse is just an LX-8 Wireless (very simplistic but it's all I've really needed for anything. Even holds up fine to me in gaming).
As for FlaSh's injury, I thought it extended to his arm or something. Only my hands are affected so I don't think it's the same problem that he had.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far though. Hopefully I can change how I physically play to reduce strain and get additional gear where needed (better mouse pad and chair are two main things I'm looking at).
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EPT
