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hey guys, i have been experiencing some pretty brutal hand aches/wrist pain and forearm tightness in the past 3 months. i have been to the doctor and a physical therapist where they both said that i have extremely tight muscles and some soft tissue damage which is what is causing the pain. i took a month break from no playing and i was okay but when i returned to play the pain returned as well. as some of you know from reading my pro journey blog i am trying to play at the pro scene. i was playing 6 hours a day to try and hit grand master league and start competing in tournaments to get my name known. but i cannot play much because of my handicap. i have been stretching and working out more but i had some questions on my ergonomics.(my doctor and physical therapist didn't seem to know the right answer)
1) should i be using a gel wrist wrest while playing sc2? my apm is around 180 so i am typing a good amount in games)
2) should i be using a mini gel wrist wrest for my mouse hand? i use a razer deathadder and i am pretty hectic with my mouse mutli tasking)
3) should i be wresting my forearms/elbow area on my arm rest for my chair while playing?
4) my desk is 28 inches high(not including keyboard height). ground to the chair is 21 inches high. the ground to the chair arm rests where i rest my arms is 29 inches high. is this okay in terms of ergonomics?
thank you for any help. i appreciate it
thank you
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Nope
Nope
Arm rests are actually bad and can cause tendonitis.
This is the ideal position you want:
![[image loading]](http://www.tfportal.de/gfx/content/tf2/guidepics/pro_sniper__guide/hcgillust04.gif)
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oh okay thank you. well the guy in the picture above is using an arm rest. how do you keep your arms straight without an arm rest? also my legs are not very close to my keyboard. in the picture above his keyboard is only a little higher then his thighs. could that be causing some of my wrist pain?
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On June 10 2011 07:14 prodigysc2 wrote:
oh okay thank you. well the guy in the picture above is using an arm rest. how do you keep your arms straight without an arm rest?
I sit like that except I have some of my arm up on the desk too, maybe try that.
On June 10 2011 07:14 prodigysc2 wrote:
also my legs are not very close to my keyboard. in the picture above his keyboard is only a little higher then his thighs. could that be causing some of my wrist pain?
Possibly, you could be sitting to low/far away from your desk and causing extra stress.
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On June 10 2011 07:28 piskooooo wrote:Show nested quote +On June 10 2011 07:14 prodigysc2 wrote:
oh okay thank you. well the guy in the picture above is using an arm rest. how do you keep your arms straight without an arm rest? I sit like that except I have some of my arm up on the desk too, maybe try that. Show nested quote +On June 10 2011 07:14 prodigysc2 wrote:
also my legs are not very close to my keyboard. in the picture above his keyboard is only a little higher then his thighs. could that be causing some of my wrist pain? Possibly, you could be sitting to low/far away from your desk and causing extra stress.
hmm okay ya i agree. i will put a giant pillow underneath me to fix it. thanks man
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do whatever feels ok for you. However, if you have any health problems (actually, even if you didnt) you might try get into yoga... try to seek information (yoga instructors, books, etc.) and -- apart from other benefits -- it could strengthen your muscles... the practicing is all connected.
GL
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Do strenghtening exercises for your back. The real posture problem is not in your wrists or arms but your back. Get a kinesis keyboard. If that doesn't help read John Sarno's book...if that doesn't help, stop playing SC2 or you'll risk to suffer chronic RSI pain for the rest of your life.
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On June 10 2011 07:43 s4life wrote:
Do strenghtening exercises for your back. The real posture problem is not in your wrists or arms but your back. Get a kinesis keyboard. If that doesn't help read John Sarno's book...if that doesn't help, stop playing SC2 or you'll risk to suffer chronic RSI pain for the rest of your life.
ya my chair sucks balls and it does put stress on my back. there is literally zero back support.
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I've actually had the same problem as you recently, although granted i play at a little bit of a lower level than you! The best thing that i find works for me is that i got a "memory pad" or whatever it is called, (it is basically one of the gel ones) wrist-rest for my keyboard and a smaller one for my mouse. It allows you to put the pressure on your tendons just below your wrist without actually causing tissue damage or even putting that much pressure on the tendons themselves
As for your chair, it's reccomended that if you can get your chain at an equal level to your desk, that is the best, becuase that allows you to wrest your elbow on your arm-rest of your chair while moving your mouse, which reduces what little strain that is on the tendons in your hand!
Hope this helps, and if you PM me i can go more in-depth or give you some links to some websites!
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The solution is not to buy stuff like fancy chairs or keyboards. You just have to take care of your body and do proper warm-ups and stretching before playing, and proper warm-down and stretching after playing.
I'm a musician and got tendinitis some time ago, many people in my situation go to meds or surgery , but doctors specialized in musicians will always recommend exercise and discipline.
Just look on the web and youtube for 4-5 different warm-up and stretching routines for tendons and you'll see the difference.
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Yeah for even for arm pain back posture is superimportant. You want to make sure that the top of your monitor is exactly at eye level when sitting down. For most desks this means that you need to elevate your monitor.
Another thing that I found really helpful is to set up my workstation in L shaped formation. So for example here at home I have a normal rectangular desk in front of me. Then I have a nightstand of equal height placed flush to the right of my chair at a 90 degree angle to the rectangular desk.
This way the nightstand supports my mouse arm's weight, and I can move my mouse using my elbow as a pivot point instead of my wrist (which really constricts the carpal tunnel).
Using vertical mice can help too. Unfortunately I'm not aware of any good vertical mice that have both 2k+ dpi and more than 3 mouse buttons + scroll. If you know of any please post =)
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On June 10 2011 08:24 kNightLite wrote:
Yeah for even for arm pain back posture is superimportant. You want to make sure that the top of your monitor is exactly at eye level when sitting down. For most desks this means that you need to elevate your monitor.
Another thing that I found really helpful is to set up my workstation in L shaped formation. So for example here at home I have a normal rectangular desk in front of me. Then I have a nightstand of equal height placed flush to the right of my chair at a 90 degree angle to the rectangular desk.
This way the nightstand supports my mouse arm's weight, and I can move my mouse using my elbow as a pivot point instead of my wrist (which really constricts the carpal tunnel).
Using vertical mice can help too. Unfortunately I'm not aware of any good vertical mice that have both 2k+ dpi and more than 3 mouse buttons + scroll. If you know of any please post =)
ah! that is a great idea! haha i need to try that out somehow. thanks guys for all your posts and suggestions. i appreciate it
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So I have 110% more death risk from how often i sit? Cool.
Pretty sure im the most unhealthy person in the world but not fat...
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Yeah this is a good point, its a common misconception that sitting straight is the ideal position, which is generally enforced through our schooling years. This is interesting, however, as I had previously thought the proper sitting angle was 110 degrees, not 135 degrees. Funny thing is that I naturally do sit at about 135 degrees, so no complaints here 
I also got wrist pain every now and then. I had pretty severe pain a few months back, so I really analyzed my workspace. I ended up raising my chair an inch, as it the arm rests weren't quite level with my desk. My wrists are feeling great.
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now I am scared because I don't sit anything like that T.T
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This is the optimal posture according to me, I base it on experience and not on facts:
Move your mouse and keyboard back, move closer to the desk. Your elbows should be at a 100/110 degree angle and land just before the edge of your desk, this means your entire forearms rests on your desk. Your forearm and elbow should do the work when moving your mouse, not your wrist.
Note that the posture for playing videogames and the posture of typing should be different. When you look at pictures of ergonomic positions you should keep in mind that they are optimized for typing, and not for playing.
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On June 10 2011 09:20 mevy wrote:
This is the optimal posture according to me, I base it on experience and not on facts:
Move your mouse and keyboard back, move closer to the desk. Your elbows should be at a 100/110 degree angle and land just before the edge of your desk, this means your entire forearms rests on your desk. Your forearm and elbow should do the work when moving your mouse, not your wrist.
Note that the posture for playing videogames and the posture of typing should be different. When you look at pictures of ergonomic positions you should keep in mind that they are optimized for typing, and not for playing.
Having your entire forearm on the desk forces you to either slouch forward or sit up straight. As shown above, this is bad for your back.
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The OP for that thread regarding RSI has some helpful information, especially the parts regarding stretching.
Ergonomics can be important, but usually they are not the main culprit when it comes to wrists.
Gel armrest can be helpful (but again, not gonna 'cure' ya single-handedly) (I'm talking about those gel forearm rests that comes as a set with mouse pad). Some ppl may say they can cause more stress on muscles/connective tissues, but unless you are one of the few in a million that uses a mouse with their forearms floating off the table (which wouldn't be recommended anyhow). If your forearm's gonna be touching something, might as well be something softer than the desk.
For your case though, sounds like you've got a chronic inflammation.
You are most likely to have what we call cross-fiber and scar tissue formation that would cause pain, decreased ROM (range of motion) and decreased circulation (bad).
I would suggest you consult with a sports chiropractor, preferably someone who does soft tissue work. (ART, Graston, FAKTR certified chiropractors are recommended)
Best way to search for them is either by referral (if you've got reliable source) or go online, search for those soft tissue treatment modalities and they will have a list of certified doctors. (hopefully there will be one in your area).
MDs and PTs are not the ones to go for such musculoskeletal condition, hope you take my advice to heart.
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EPT
