Hi Im a starcraft 2 player who plays about 15 games a day, trying to become really good. but my wrist pain follows me through my practice, especially after micro intensive games the inside of my wrist starts hurting and I cant hold anything rather heavy with my hand. Is there any advise anyone can give me? anybody with the same problem? It hurts when I flex my fingers and hold my mouse hard to micro or to pull it to move the ingame screen downwards.
If its simple inflammation of my tendons then what would be a good treatment?
Some people here might have good advice, others will have bad advice. Others will say great things and others will make you lose your hand. At the end of the day, if you have a medical problem you should SEE A DOCTOR and not ask for help on a gaming forum
Go see a doctor.
If I want a good gaming build for a new computer, do I go to a doctor? No, I go to a gaming/tech forum. If I have wrist pain, do I go to a gaming forum? No, I go to a doctor.
I played baseball for like 15+ years, even into college as a pitcher.. I have like semi permanent tendinitis in my elbow and a torn rotater cuff (Tendons, cartiledge, and the muscle group all have tears), a wrist that cracks anytime I move it from years of split fingers and sliders...
My only advice? Get a wrist brace, and see a doctor. I have to play with one. Find a wrist brace for carpal tunnel. It lets me be able to play all day long. Without one, I can play maybe a game? I'm only 23. =(
On September 21 2011 04:42 Thorakh wrote: Go see a doctor.
Some people here might have good advice, others will have bad advice. Others will say great things and others will make you lose your hand. At the end of the day, if you have a medical problem you should SEE A DOCTOR and not ask for help on a gaming forum
Go see a doctor.
This 100%. Also advice I can give you that I don't think anyone will disagree with, in between the time you schedule an appointment and actually go see the doctor, you should probably stop doing whatever is giving you pain I made the mistake of playing through the pain for a few months a while back, and now I have an injury that will last for about 6+ months.
I used to get that when I sat with my elbow not on the table, the way people advise you to play, mouse and keyboard on the edge of the desk. But since I moved everything further back on the desk and now put the pressure on my elbow as opposed to the wrist it's all fine, this may have nothing to do with your problem but if you sit like that it could.
On September 21 2011 04:42 Thorakh wrote: Go see a doctor.
Some people here might have good advice, others will have bad advice. Others will say great things and others will make you lose your hand. At the end of the day, if you have a medical problem you should SEE A DOCTOR and not ask for help on a gaming forum
Go see a doctor.
If I want a good gaming build for a new computer, do I go to a doctor? No, I go to a gaming/tech forum. If I have wrist pain, do I go to a gaming forum? No, I go to a doctor.
I had that idea in mind, but decided to ask the community first see if anyone else has experienced this.. maybe then go see a doctor.
On September 21 2011 04:42 Thorakh wrote: Go see a doctor.
Some people here might have good advice, others will have bad advice. Others will say great things and others will make you lose your hand. At the end of the day, if you have a medical problem you should SEE A DOCTOR and not ask for help on a gaming forum
Go see a doctor.
If I want a good gaming build for a new computer, do I go to a doctor? No, I go to a gaming/tech forum. If I have wrist pain, do I go to a gaming forum? No, I go to a doctor.
I had that idea in mind, but decided to ask the community first see if anyone else has experienced this.. maybe then go see a doctor.
The thing is, everyone is going to give you different advice and you'll have no way of distinguishing the good from the bad.
On September 21 2011 04:44 Ziktomini wrote: I used to get that when I sat with my elbow not on the table, the way people advise you to play, mouse and keyboard on the edge of the desk. But since I moved everything further back on the desk and now put the pressure on my elbow as opposed to the wrist it's all fine, this may have nothing to do with your problem but if you sit like that it could.
Take regular breaks when playing, and do some simple stretches. Both for your hands/wrists and body in general. I know I've seen other threads with ideas, as well as even some tips in a Day9 daily. I'm sure a quick web search will turn up some helpful stuff for ya.
If your pain is already regular and as bad as it sounds you may want to have a doctor take a look as you may already have or be developing carpel tunnel.
Remember that you are human first and a gamer after, taking care of your body is top priority (especially if you plan to play a lot regularly).
Make sure that your elbows are supported by the chair's armrest and that they are in line with your keyboard or above the keyboard. Take frequent breaks (1 min break after each game or so), make circle motion with your hand (rotate wrist), don't play if pain persists.
On September 21 2011 04:43 iAmJeffReY wrote: I played baseball for like 15+ years, even into college as a pitcher.. I have like semi permanent tendinitis in my elbow and a torn rotater cuff (Tendons, cartiledge, and the muscle group all have tears), a wrist that cracks anytime I move it from years of split fingers and sliders...
My only advice? Get a wrist brace, and see a doctor. I have to play with one. Find a wrist brace for carpal tunnel. It lets me be able to play all day long. Without one, I can play maybe a game? I'm only 23. =(
Hmmm do you by any chance have any wrist braces you would recommend? This is more curiosity as I do think I have slight carpel tunnel (its not to bad) and was debating on getting one but didn't know if it would actually help. But judging from your post sounds like it helps a lot.
Take everyone's advice on stretches, set up and breaks in play time, however above all you need to GO TO THE DOCTOR. My buddy had the symptoms you are describing with similar amounts of gaming, and chose to ignore them. 6 months later his wrists hurt even more, and after getting a quick check from our friends mom (a nurse) she told him he would quickly develop carpal tunnel at his current pace. He has anti-inflammatory cream, somewhat regularly stretches now, yet still has weeks at a time where the pain is too great to play. Save yourself the time, pain, and money involved with treating wrist injuries by putting a stop to them now.
You have to see a doctor because there are cortisone shots if its arthritis or you can have a surgery that doesn't hurt , you cant use your wrist for only a week and leaves a very small scar very small. Or it could be u just spranged it because I thought I had something wrong with my wrist I didn't play for 4 days and it was back to normal a spranged wrist in the right area feels like arthritis. Just something to keep in mind.
On September 21 2011 05:00 AC3 wrote: Take everyone's advice on stretches, set up and breaks in play time, however above all you need to GO TO THE DOCTOR. My buddy had the symptoms you are describing with similar amounts of gaming, and chose to ignore them. 6 months later his wrists hurt even more, and after getting a quick check from our friends mom (a nurse) she told him he would quickly develop carpal tunnel at his current pace. He has anti-inflammatory cream, somewhat regularly stretches now, yet still has weeks at a time where the pain is too great to play. Save yourself the time, pain, and money involved with treating wrist injuries by putting a stop to them now.
All this is so discourgaing to me. 9 months of regular and I really mean regular play and now this comes up. If I am to rest for a week It'll ruin my plan of "continuous" practice. But its not up to me cuz I cant play anymore, hell with theis pain I cant even type my english paper thats due.
On September 21 2011 05:03 SeizeTheDay wrote: You have to see a doctor because there are cortisone shots if its arthritis or you can have a surgery that doesn't hurt , you cant use your wrist for only a week and leaves a very small scar very small. Or it could be u just spranged it because I thought I had something wrong with my wrist I didn't play for 4 days and it was back to normal a spranged wrist in the right area feels like arthritis. Just something to keep in mind.
Cortisone shots / surgeries are imo quite a waste of time if it is something that can be healed by RICE-ing it and doing some simple stretches. Also, cortisone shots are not something you want to do unless you really have to.
To OP: A stretch that really helped me was to place my thumbs inside my palm, raise my arms in front of me and then pulling the thumbs down. Also a stretch where you pull your fingers back and then in the other direction.
As with all stretches: ease into them, do not rush it.
Just takes a lot of experience to get used to gaming for many hours in a row after awhile your wrists wont start to hurt, but until then you can't push it. just rest and in 3-4 days you will be fine.
Also when you play, try not to do a bunch in a row like 5+ hours.
Try to space it out in 1-2 hour cycles, your wrists wont hurt as bad that way.
Really, just go to the doctor. Does not matter howlight the pain is. Just the fact that it is there should be cause for a little alarm. Better go get it checked now, and have a doctor tell you you are fine with some streching, rather then later when you might have already did too much damage.
You just need to get used to playing with a relaxed wrist. As unhelpful as I may sound, I know what I'm talking about.You see, I've studied the piano for 12 years. One of the fundamentals there is to play with a relaxed wrist - I'm so used to it that I've never had any pain at all, even after long days of playing SC. That's also what SeleCT said in an interview. Gels and the likes can help temporarily, but in the long term, you need to start training to relax your wrist. Simple as that.
i just saw a doc about something similar, he just told me to baby it and wear a wrist brace at times (ive been wearing it while i sleep and it seems to help), sometimes i ice it and take ibuprofen if need be. gonna have another checkup in a couple weeks
This could be rather serious, so i advice you (not that im that great of an advisor), to go see a doctor as everyone else has said. You cannot trust people you don't know over the internet, especially if it's something medicinal.
If it really hurts that much, take brakes. I stretch between every game and i haven't experienced something like that in a long time.
Like everyone said first off all: go to the doctor! Every advise here is good advise: stretches, rest etc.
From my personal expierence what worked great for me was doing a sport(in my case kung-fu) that trains your wrists. This is to prevent your wrist constantly doing the same thing and also creates stronger muscles. I have played insane hours/weeks/months/years and never had problems with my wrist until i stopped kung-fu training, but he it is different for everyone.
A regular doctor won't be able to fix it. You need a chiropractor, a good one who can fix this sort of thing. Stretches and things can help too, but not if things are really out of place. This is your only chance of fixing it and being back to normal without surgery or other crazy things.
If this is the problem (very likely) you can be totally normal instantly.
Up your practice and increase your hours-per-day played. Play until you either lose feeling in both hands or until the crippling pain forces you to stop. 20 years from now when the game is obsolete and only has a few thousand active players, you can proudly look back and tell your great great grandchildren, "I really gave 'em hell" and rant about how people back then were hard-working and honest and walked to school uphill both ways. And also, you will have robotic hands. But who cares, you got into low Masters league in StarCraft 2.
Okay, but seriously. This is a dumb question. STOP PLAYING COMPLETELY until it stops hurting. I know people with Carpel Tunnel and RSI and lemme tell you, their lives SUCK. I damaged my ears PERMANENTLY playing FPS games on high volume and I regret nothing more in my entire life (that's 25 years). The depression you get when you realize you have irreversible bodily damage is terrifying. STOP PLAYING THE GAME.
In the meantime, understand that Repeated Stress Injury has to be 1) repeated and 2) have *stress*. This means if your wrist is twisted / bent inward when you use the mouse / type, you are increasing friction between your tendon / bone and causing inflammation. Besides seeing a doctor, you need to get your posture examined by an ergonomics professional who can tell you why your posture is causing stress in your tendons. Remember folks - it's not JUST repeated use, it has to be repeated use + tendon STRESS, which is a result of bad posture. Invest in ergonomic equipment if you ever wanna resume playing in the future. But for now, GO READ A BOOK or something.
This can be a very serious problem which could result in surgery. You need to see a doctor asap, if it gets worse the last thing you will be worrying about is SC.
the ONLY advice worth anything ever when it comes to pain and the internet is to go see a doctor. Don't fool around with this, cut to the chase and go ASAP, its the safest and best possible thing to do.
Like everyone has said, DOCTOR!!!! You don't wanna end up with Tendonitis (BoxeR's shoulder pains) or CTS (TLO's problem), otherwise, it will suck really bad.
On September 21 2011 04:42 Thorakh wrote: Go see a doctor.
Some people here might have good advice, others will have bad advice. Others will say great things and others will make you lose your hand. At the end of the day, if you have a medical problem you should SEE A DOCTOR and not ask for help on a gaming forum
Go see a doctor.
If I want a good gaming build for a new computer, do I go to a doctor? No, I go to a gaming/tech forum. If I have wrist pain, do I go to a gaming forum? No, I go to a doctor.
I had that idea in mind, but decided to ask the community first see if anyone else has experienced this.. maybe then go see a doctor.
Noone on TL.net is a medical expert, at least not that I know of. Go see a doctor before it gets out of hand.
1) try pay attention to how tense your wrist is during play... Sometiem people are holding it flexed as if trying to stop your wrist from moving at all why not holding anything. This will cause a lot of strain. Keep your wrist relaxed as much as possible while playing. More fluid movements in a rhythm is best.
2) Do not over stress or over rub it when in pain. This is people's biggest mistake... Something hurts, so they almost rip their wrist off stretching it and rub the crap out of it. If there is inflamation or bruising (99% chance of this being the cause of your pain), excessive rubbing and stretching will irritate it and make it worse. Intense stretching and rubs are for when you are not in pain. Pain should be combatted with Ice, Heat, and compaction.
3) Use or do not use a wrist rest... some people have fat palms and should not use one... some people should. Try both.
4) Try ramping up how often you play. If you went from 4 games a day to 15 games a day everyday, in a spike, that can cause inflamtion and pain.
5) Eat right. I cannot count how many fellow athletes of mine in College had injuries and pain tied with being mal-nurished in certain vitamins and minerals.
On September 21 2011 05:29 B00ts wrote: Some tips:
1) try pay attention to how tense your wrist is during play... Sometiem people are holding it flexed as if trying to stop your wrist from moving at all why not holding anything. This will cause a lot of strain. Keep your wrist relaxed as much as possible while playing. More fluid movements in a rhythm is best.
2) Do not over stress or over rub it when in pain. This is people's biggest mistake... Something hurts, so they almost rip their wrist off stretching it and rub the crap out of it. If there is inflamation or bruising (99% chance of this being the cause of your pain), excessive rubbing and stretching will irritate it and make it worse. Intense stretching and rubs are for when you are not in pain. Pain should be combatted with Ice, Heat, and compaction.
3) Use or do not use a wrist rest... some people have fat palms and should not use one... some people should. Try both.
4) Try ramping up how often you play. If you went from 4 games a day to 15 games a day everyday, in a spike, that can cause inflamtion and pain.
5) Eat right. I cannot count how many fellow athletes of mine in College had injuries and pain tied with being mal-nurished in certain vitamins and minerals.
6) Drink water. 8 glasses - 4 bottles / day.
This is really good, In fact I actually robbed it this morning and it got worse instantaneously I knew it just got worse. I think I'll rest for the remaining of the day today. and from tomorrow, i'll try to play with relaxed wrist, i'll play about 7 games. If it didn't get any better by tomorrow i'll have to go see a therapist.
Edit: Actually no I wont play tomorrow, hell fuck it man im just gonna sit down and study
Yet again don't go to the INTERNET when you have pains ok? I'm not saying were uneducated trolls but seriously, if theres a possible risk of carpal go to the doctors first dont tell us.
also, make sure you are positioning your hand correctly. what is at the edge of your table? your arm or your wrist? many people play with their wrist as the pivot, and so put it at the edge of the table, but this also causes a crap ton more pain (personal experience), and it's a lot more relaxing to play with your arm at the edge of the table once in awhile especially when you're doing senseless customs or just browsing the web etc.
On September 21 2011 05:41 tuestresfat wrote: as others have said, see a doctor right away.
also, make sure you are positioning your hand correctly. what is at the edge of your table? your arm or your wrist? many people play with their wrist as the pivot, and so put it at the edge of the table, but this also causes a crap ton more pain (personal experience), and it's a lot more relaxing to play with your arm at the edge of the table once in awhile especially when you're doing senseless customs or just browsing the web etc.
My wrist is at the edge, but in a relative straight line with the arm rest of my chair.
Stretch your wrists before and after each game. Make sure your hand positions when playing aren't too straining (strenuous?). Try to relax, and if your wrists begin to hurt, take a break.
If this is a recurring problem, see a doctor. Some people just get them in spurts. Best of luck!
Go see a doctor, dont spend another minute in this thread. Unless someone says they're a doctor in this thread then dont bother. Even a simple stretch excercise can hurt your hand/wrist even more. Just go see a doctor. Now.
It's most likely that your posture is failing you. The "right" posture varies from person to person, but there are a couple of good general rules, like keeping your wrists floating above the keyboard.
Personal note: I just got a new keyboard, and it's much taller than my last one. Since, it has become very obvious that my wrist position that was fine for the old keyboard is terrible for the new one. I've had to adjust everything from how I sit to the height of my chair to make it comfortable. If I get lazy and let my wrist rest too low, it'll start hurting almost immediately.
Guys just wanted to give an update, thanks to everyone who helped me in this thread. Since the wrist pain started, I could not nearly play as much anymore, for 2 weeks, I did not play at all, nor could I write notes during my classes without a wrist band holding my wrist tightly. After 2 weeks, I started playing 1-2 games every other day, but still if the games were long enough, the pain would comeback, so I had to keep them short. Now, my wrist is still very fragile, I go to the gym and I have to pick a lighter weight for my right hand otherwise it'd start hurting again. All and all, my hand is way weaker than when I started playing, This happened mainly because I did not use the bones on the boundary between the palm of my hard and my wrist as a pivot when I played the game. So make sure you do that.
Most likely tendonitis. You have to rest your wrist for at least a 4 weeks for it to heal (don't use it at all). Make sure your keyboard/mouse/chair/desk setup is ergonomic. Don't use wrist rests for your mouse or keyboard, they're actually harmful.
Orthopedics doctor will just tell you to rest it until it gets better, prescribe you an anti-inflammatory (Naproxen most likely), tell you to ice it, and possibly wear a splint.
Take a picture of your computer desk setup, and another with you in your natural position while playing a game. I might be able to point out what needs to be adjusted. (Is your keyboard and mouse close enough to the edge of desk, wrists straight, etc).
I have tendonitis in my left shoulder and left wrist. It hurts when you open/close your fist right? Put your thumb on your wrist, start with an open fist, then make a fist by curling one finger at a time, do the tendons in your wrist feel swollen while you do that motion? It's like a bumpy/raised feeling.
Edit: Posture / Proper ergonomic setup is best thing to PREVENT repetitive stress injury, it doesn't heal it. The only way to fix this problem is stopping the activity's that caused the hand/wrist pain. You won't get better by quitting SC2 for a week or two, scar tissue takes 6 weeks to form I believe. Naproxen, ice, and a splint will make it feel better, but I hope you don't think it's okay to play SC2 just because you don't feel pain for a couple days.
On September 21 2011 04:43 iAmJeffReY wrote: I played baseball for like 15+ years, even into college as a pitcher.. I have like semi permanent tendinitis in my elbow and a torn rotater cuff (Tendons, cartiledge, and the muscle group all have tears), a wrist that cracks anytime I move it from years of split fingers and sliders...
My only advice? Get a wrist brace, and see a doctor. I have to play with one. Find a wrist brace for carpal tunnel. It lets me be able to play all day long. Without one, I can play maybe a game? I'm only 23. =(
I'm with you there man, 8 years of competitive karate - 2 years of semi pro counter strike - 7 years of wow, my hands finally gave out and I can't play longer than 5 games with out running for pain killers and that's WITH correct posture and positioning. I might invest in soft braces because my hardones atm just crush me out and restrict my play.
On November 04 2011 06:39 Theeakoz wrote: Guys just wanted to give an update, thanks to everyone who helped me in this thread. Since the wrist pain started, I could not nearly play as much anymore, for 2 weeks, I did not play at all, nor could I write notes during my classes without a wrist band holding my wrist tightly. After 2 weeks, I started playing 1-2 games every other day, but still if the games were long enough, the pain would comeback, so I had to keep them short. Now, my wrist is still very fragile, I go to the gym and I have to pick a lighter weight for my right hand otherwise it'd start hurting again. All and all, my hand is way weaker than when I started playing, This happened mainly because I did not use the bones on the boundary between the palm of my hard and my wrist as a pivot when I played the game. So make sure you do that.
yah... stop playing for a good length of time and it will fix itself. It needs rest. Wear a wrist brace when you can will help too
As a med student who literally 2 seconds ago stopped his revision on carpal tunnel syndrome I'd say its likely to be that, although theres all sorts of things it could be. If you get a pins and needles like sensation in it, almost like its lost circulation regularly without it having been elevated or circulation prevented in any way, its almost certainly CTS. However, as started earlier, go see a doctor. They can examine you in person, and can tell you if its CTS, tendonitis, ulnar claw, trapped nerve, damage to any of your obscene amount of flexor and extensor muscles in your forearm...too hard to say, go see someone!
As everyone's saying, stop playing and see a doctor.
It will suck and you will dislike the pause and the eventual skill drop it causes. You will also feel very silly getting chronic pain from some stubborn amateur level playing. It's not worth it.
See a doctor, rest, work on your posture/ergonomy and be patient.
Check first for anemia and back posture.. 99% of the time the problem in the wrists is one of bad circulation rather than a physical problem.. if you go to the doctor and find nothing wrong with your wrists after physical exam, it's most likely a psychosomatic condition that is subconsciously restricting blood flow to your arms/wrists as a way of distracting your conscious self. Perhaps you are devoting too much time to the game and stopped doing your responsibilities?
On November 04 2011 07:15 lysergic wrote: Most likely tendonitis. You have to rest your wrist for at least a 4 weeks for it to heal (don't use it at all). Make sure your keyboard/mouse/chair/desk setup is ergonomic. Don't use wrist rests for your mouse or keyboard, they're actually harmful.
Orthopedics doctor will just tell you to rest it until it gets better, prescribe you an anti-inflammatory (Naproxen most likely), tell you to ice it, and possibly wear a splint.
Take a picture of your computer desk setup, and another with you in your natural position while playing a game. I might be able to point out what needs to be adjusted. (Is your keyboard and mouse close enough to the edge of desk, wrists straight, etc).
I have tendonitis in my left shoulder and left wrist. It hurts when you open/close your fist right? Put your thumb on your wrist, start with an open fist, then make a fist by curling one finger at a time, do the tendons in your wrist feel swollen while you do that motion? It's like a bumpy/raised feeling.
Edit: Posture / Proper ergonomic setup is best thing to PREVENT repetitive stress injury, it doesn't heal it. The only way to fix this problem is stopping the activity's that caused the hand/wrist pain. You won't get better by quitting SC2 for a week or two, scar tissue takes 6 weeks to form I believe. Naproxen, ice, and a splint will make it feel better, but I hope you don't think it's okay to play SC2 just because you don't feel pain for a couple days.
My god you guys are nice and helpful wow... seriously thanks. "hope you don't think it's okay to play SC2 just because you don't feel pain for a couple days." As a matter of fact that's exactly what I did, and the pain comes back every time I do that... Before I read your post saying that I have to wait for 4 weeks I didn't know what to do. I was like, okey the pain is gone, it most be all good now... but NO! it'd just come back after an hour or two of hardcore homework or typing or 2-3 games of starcraft. So I was really scared that it was something permanent and I would never be able to use my hand for long periods of time. At least now and people who have the same problem and read this post will know better. It's just such a pain in the ass.
At any rate. I never had wrist problems playing games, but on extensive typing sessions my right hand would absolutely kill me. I now use a mouse pad with a gel wrist pad and bought a wrist pad for my keyboard and i can honestly say i dont get those wrists pains anymore while i do extensive typing. Sure if i go REALLY long it will kinda act up. But between the pad and the stretches i do its almost non-existent compared to how it was. I urgently advise you to at least try getting wrist pads for mouse/keyboard.
At the very least it will help somewhat. Getting the wrist pad on my keyboard made it more comfortable to have the back stands up on the keyboard if you dont do that already. Just a note. But yea, go see a doctor if it is super severe and no home remedy's work. No use in disabling your hand over a video game. GL
First, see a doctor to make sure it's not serious. You might have to take a break to let it heal.
I had a gaming related injury once, but fortunately I was already seeing a physical therapist for my skiing injury (ergo all the gaming). Mine was in a tendon that ran down the top part of my forearm, and the solution (on top of icing and ibuprofen) was to spend some time with a light dumbbell (like maybe 2-5lbs) and hold my arm out straight, and then just lift the dumbbell up and down with only wrist motion, to strengthen those muscles. It worked wonders; with a little stretching, I recovered within a couple weeks, but I did have to stop playing for that time.
Day9 generally recommends stretching between matches, and that's what I do. Good luck!
On September 21 2011 05:00 AC3 wrote: Take everyone's advice on stretches, set up and breaks in play time, however above all you need to GO TO THE DOCTOR. My buddy had the symptoms you are describing with similar amounts of gaming, and chose to ignore them. 6 months later his wrists hurt even more, and after getting a quick check from our friends mom (a nurse) she told him he would quickly develop carpal tunnel at his current pace. He has anti-inflammatory cream, somewhat regularly stretches now, yet still has weeks at a time where the pain is too great to play. Save yourself the time, pain, and money involved with treating wrist injuries by putting a stop to them now.
All this is so discourgaing to me. 9 months of regular and I really mean regular play and now this comes up. If I am to rest for a week It'll ruin my plan of "continuous" practice. But its not up to me cuz I cant play anymore, hell with theis pain I cant even type my english paper thats due.
You are to the point where you can't even type your English paper anymore and yet you seem to be more concerned about your plan of continuous practice being interrupted? I don't know how to say this, but some people really need to learn how to prioritize whats truly important to them better =/
I have had some wrist problems as of late too which has been affecting my play, so I somewhat understand the frustration, but you know, SC is a game for your entertainment, and there's no way it can be fun if you have to play through so much pain. So just take it easy, listen to what your doctor says, get a good break, and when it feels better you can start playing some again. Hope everything works out!
I used to get a lot of elbow pain when I played and then I switched up my desk situation so that everything is really far back toward the wall. Now my entire right forearm, elbow included, and most of my left forearm rest on the desk and it allows me to play pain-free as long as I want.
I had the same problem with my wrist. I am playing on a laptop so my hand was in a bad position. I bought a new keyboard and a new desk and my wrist is in a much better position when I play and has been pain free ever since.
You have carpal tunnel. As someone who has struggled with carpal tunnel over the last few years you absolutely need to rest your wrists for at least a week. Possibly two or three. This means no gaming or actions that cause repetitive stress.
There isn't much a doctor can do to treat carpal tunnel beyond surgery to relieve pressure to the median nerve (what Flash recently went through). There are however preventitive things you can do. These kinds kinds of exercises have really helped me deal with it. Also, you need to examine your computer set-up and make sure your wrists aren't unnaturally bent and your posture is good. TLO also suffers from carpal tunnel.
edit: don't push yourself, if you do it will only make it worse and take longer for your wrist to heal. I didn't rest my right wrist enough about ~2 years ago and it got so bad I actually couldn't grip things very strongly, I couldn't write, and my fingers tingled. I saw a doctor and they told me exactly what I have posted above. Wearing a wrist splint at night may also help. Non-steroid anti-inflammatories will reduce symptoms but won't really treat the condition.
When you get start to get the beginnings of CTS the biggest thing that helps is rest. Make sure you don't over-exert your wrists and if you absolutely have to play, play for shorter periods of time and try and use splints and and ergonomic keyboards/mice. You can use the down time to watch replays or something. It's not worth getting CTS just because you didn't exercise caution when playing. CTS impacts your day-to-day life as well, because you start to lose the fine motor skills within your fingers. Not worth it.
In terms of options beyond resting your wrists the main ones would be NSAIDs/anaesthetics or surgery. Try not to get to that stage and make sure you go see a doctor soon.
On November 04 2011 16:49 Teogamer wrote: buy a few eggs of silly putty and squeeze it throughout a day or two. I get pain in my hand every few months and this cures it completely.
On November 04 2011 16:55 hookyelyak wrote: do those mentioned stretches and go see a doctor ..i onc had cts and took vit b12(probably an otc vitamin in america ).
Don't take random stuff. Go see a doctor, CTS has nothing to do with vitamin deficit.
On September 21 2011 05:00 AC3 wrote: Take everyone's advice on stretches, set up and breaks in play time, however above all you need to GO TO THE DOCTOR. My buddy had the symptoms you are describing with similar amounts of gaming, and chose to ignore them. 6 months later his wrists hurt even more, and after getting a quick check from our friends mom (a nurse) she told him he would quickly develop carpal tunnel at his current pace. He has anti-inflammatory cream, somewhat regularly stretches now, yet still has weeks at a time where the pain is too great to play. Save yourself the time, pain, and money involved with treating wrist injuries by putting a stop to them now.
All this is so discourgaing to me. 9 months of regular and I really mean regular play and now this comes up. If I am to rest for a week It'll ruin my plan of "continuous" practice. But its not up to me cuz I cant play anymore, hell with theis pain I cant even type my english paper thats due.
Don't fuck around with it man. REST YOUR WRISTS. You need to do this for 1-3 weeks. They will get better. Fuck practicing. Trust me, when it gets bad enough you won't even be able to pick stuff up. It makes your hand completely useless.
excercise with it 10-20 minutes every day or every few days, and you won't have any RSI related injury ever in your life- but don't start it until your injury is healed
additionally, you can buy special ergonomic keyboards and mouses that minimalize the chance of RSI, but those aren't cheap and you need to get used to them.
Ergonomics of a computer workstation is almost a complete science nowadays, too bad that e-sport related people don't really care about it at all- these keyboards and mice look strange and you need to get used to them, but they're sooooo comfortable to use, it's an entirely different experience. in truth the position of the hands and forehand is not natural while using the standard keyboard and mouse and causes constant strain in the bones and tendons.
But the powerball (or any gyro ball) is probably the best solution, and it's also fun, u can do it while watching a new episode of your favorite series etc
On September 21 2011 04:42 Thorakh wrote: Go see a doctor.
Some people here might have good advice, others will have bad advice. Others will say great things and others will make you lose your hand. At the end of the day, if you have a medical problem you should SEE A DOCTOR and not ask for help on a gaming forum
Go see a doctor.
If I want a good gaming build for a new computer, do I go to a doctor? No, I go to a gaming/tech forum. If I have wrist pain, do I go to a gaming forum? No, I go to a doctor.
I started getting the same symptoms years ago playing guildwars. For me, the main pain causing factor is repetitive motions with my ring and pinky finger. Particularly shift, ctrl, 1. I was able to live completely pain free for years playing WoW because of the hotkey system, which allowed me to almost ignore those keys. (You can hit every other key on the keyboard more efficiently with your other 3 fingers).
Unfortunatly with sc2, changing hotkeys isn't really an option and it's not efficient. I am currently experimenting with a wrist brace to improve my wrists posture. I would suggest using control groups 2-6 as your most repetitive key strokes, (army, production) and 1 for something less important if possible.
Stretching during breaks is important. I have found from my own personal experience that curling small dumbells or doing any excercise with them is probably the best. The reason I find is that they force your grip, increase blood flow because of the physical excercise (I actually shake them in a masturbating movement; lol) and stretch your tendons. This is from my personal experience, the most beneficial.
Another note on light dumbells; They make your hands feel faster after excercise, warm your body temperature if you excercise hard enough which is also good for sc2.
AVOID flexing your wrist (bending it backwards or forwards). Tylenol helps me relieve the inflammation, could help you. It also takes your mind off the pain which is invaluable in your wrists recovery.
Anywhom, gl let me know what you find, this is all the stuff I've learned about my condition so far. Just make sure you deal with it. Hotkey mapping is the #1 cure imo, but if you cant adjust them like me in sc2, learn to adapt.
Ive had wrist problems this summer ever since i shattered it at work, fell off of a ladder after it collapsed . Anyways i find that the drug store patches help that cover your wrist, soothing and helps keep you cool. if you can get past the smell of extreme mint from your hand you will be fine
On September 21 2011 04:43 freetgy wrote: stop playing and go rest, this is still just a game, where risking your own health is not even worth it in the slightest
if you want to become a professional you will have to know when to train and when to rest.
Even in real sports you will destroy your self buy training like hell without sufficient resting periods.
On November 04 2011 17:28 nitdkim wrote: I think proper ergonomic settings would take away half the pain or at least delay it.
No, ibuprofin will take the pain away and reduce inflammation. The pain will continue as long as he keeps doing what he's doing. Ergonomic's is for prevention, he's past prevention. He has to remove inflammation by taking ibuprofin and ceasing computer use. Allow the nerves running through his wrist to heal. The best way to promote this would be to keep his arm in a neutral position preferably on his side, make sure to not sleep on his arm, and to perhaps wear a wrist brace / elbow pads while sleeping or using the computer(he hasnt explained what nerve is under stress so it could be the ulnar nerve and the problem could be at his elbow from an arm wrest or from sleeping on his arm or at the neck from sleeping on a bad pillow etc). More commonly it would be carpal tunnel and i'd recommend a wrist brace to keep the wrist in a neutral position.
I've talked to doctors before as I had numbness in half my 4th and my pinky for 6 months due to wresting my elbow on an armwrest for 50 or so hours achieving realm first level 80 in World of Warcraft. I recieved some RSI training and trust me, the only fix is taking a break and using ibuprofin for any inflammation, as inflammation will reduce bloodflow and stop healing / do more damage. It's not a solution for someone who wants to continue to go "pro". As ibuprofin does WORK to your liver and should not be used for an extended period of time. If you dont have the time to stop use and allow the nerves in the wrist to heal (at about 1cm a month, muscle damage is pernament, and callouses etc on the nerve are too) then the only option is surgery but atleast for me it's pretty damn hard to get without going to a private institution.
Get a nerve conduction test, a doctor will tell you what the problem is, where it is, and how to deal with it. Taking ibuprofin will help prevent more damage to the nerve from occurring. If theres no numbness, you pretty much have nothing to worry about. It should heal fairly easily. Once you get numbness you start on the muscle damage path and that's bad.
When I was suffering my ulnar nerve entrapment, I watched alot of TV laying down and played alot of console games. Took about two weeks to have no pain, but another 5 months for feeling to return.
I had the same thing a few years ago and tried every solution I could find, including doctors and physio. Everything helped slightly but nothing cured it. The only solution was to stop doing the activity that caused it. I stopped for about 6months, learnt to use the mouse with my left hand, and minimised anything that strained my wrist (driving was another big contributor, I was doing an hour each way to uni). Eventually I started playing games right handed again but only low stress ones like rpgs. After a while I came back to iccup and played casual bw without problems for a few years, 1-2 games a day. Then sc2 came out. I began playing more and more games a day to climb the ladder. Thats when my old rsi started coming back. The more I played the worse it got, if I slowed down, the pain receeded proportionally. It just seems to me that if you have this condition you have to give up any aspiration of playing games at a high level.
On November 04 2011 17:52 samuraibael wrote: I had the same thing a few years ago and tried every solution I could find, including doctors and physio. Everything helped slightly but nothing cured it. The only solution was to stop doing the activity that caused it. I stopped for about 6months, learnt to use the mouse with my left hand, and minimised anything that strained my wrist (driving was another big contributor, I was doing an hour each way to uni). Eventually I started playing games right handed again but only low stress ones like rpgs. After a while I came back to iccup and played casual bw without problems for a few years, 1-2 games a day. Then sc2 came out. I began playing more and more games a day to climb the ladder. Thats when my old rsi started coming back. The more I played the worse it got, if I slowed down, the pain receeded proportionally. It just seems to me that if you have this condition you have to give up any aspiration of playing games at a high level.
Surgery is an option. Especially for carpal tunnel. But the ligament that gets cut during surgery will heal and become a problem a few again a few years down the line.
6 months was the same time it took me. I went to console games for a while personally ( read above ). But i'm thinking i'm going to try swapping my keyboard and mouse, you're brilliant.
OP i'd recommend you buy an evoluvent 3 vertical mouse (or the new evoluvent 4?). It did wonders for me, and my friend who suffered terribly from carpal tunnel (he almost got the claw!) used this mouse. I used it for everything on the computer except games. Having both mice plugged in at once. It's truely a great product and will help you keeping your wrist in a neutral position while using a computer. It's not bad for games either it's just a little awkward to get used too. It has an avago optical sensor one just like the one in the deathadder!. So it's got no acceleration like those terrible steelseries mice and actually performs quite damn well.
On November 04 2011 17:52 samuraibael wrote: It just seems to me that if you have this condition you have to give up any aspiration of playing games at a high level.
I don't think thats a very good attitude considering MVP has carpal tunnel in BOTH wrists.
On November 04 2011 17:52 samuraibael wrote: It just seems to me that if you have this condition you have to give up any aspiration of playing games at a high level.
I don't think thats a very good attitude considering MVP has carpal tunnel in BOTH wrists.
but the surgery that can correct carpal tunnel is very common in S. Korea. It's not generally done in NA for example.
Been playing games for about 20 years (yup, that old), had some issues with wrist pain 4-5 years ago, then invested in a wrist rest and since then it's never been an issue anymore. Not saying it'd work for everyone or that it's the best long term solution, but that did it for me.
some people already mentioned it and you should listen to them - go see a doctor. If you delay it too long and suffer permanent damage your furture you will be angry at you forever.
EPT
I made the mistake of playing through the pain for a few months a while back, and now I have an injury that will last for about 6+ months.
