Pro Gamers and Carpal Tunnel

On October 24 2011 14:12 Silky wrote:
Anyone have a diagram of this "posture"?

On October 24 2011 14:18 Silky wrote:
The reason I'm asking is i have a minor case of C and was wondering what I can do to improve my chances of when going back to playing, prevent it from coming up again.

On October 24 2011 14:16 Misanthrope wrote:
SeanShepard is correct. Frequent rest periods and proper stretching are also necessary. Many progamers do actually suffer from RSI or carpal tunnel. Like you said, TLO is one, MVP is another. Recently FlaSh (BW god for the uninitiated), had to have sections of muscle removed from his right arm, as they were overdeveloped and putting too much pressure on the nerve.

For some it is also a matter of luck, Idra said on SotG that he's been really lucky as far as RSI/CT goes and has never had any issues at all. My doctor told me recently when I brought up this subject that some people are just lucky with their physiology and are highly unlikely to ever develop any problems.

Also, what are you lfg for?

EDIT: guys do a quick search RSI, Carpal Tunnel, and posture. There are a few threads that have popped up the last year or two with instructions about proper stretches, warm-ups, and desk posture from health majors.

On October 24 2011 14:16 nameless55 wrote:

Your spine has natural curves in it. Sitting is not a natural position for the body to be in, so an 'ideal' sitting position is one that has the spine in a state similar to a person standing and straight and relaxed. Use the google, I'm sure you can easily find a plethora of information with little to no effort.

On October 24 2011 14:28 Gixxasaurus wrote:
I have RSI, or carpal tunnel. But it has gone.

I played in Cal-Invite in CoD1 back in 2003-06 era. I played 80 hrs per week, basically nonstop 24/7 for two years. My right ring finger, and thumb from having a claw grip on the mouse (for precision aiming). I had to pick up MMO's (like Lineage, Aion, etc) because my passion for FPS made me not play very good with less finger strength to control the mouse super accurately and fast.

Now just by taking a break for 1-2 years of light MMO gaming, I'm back. But I've always struggled with it. Cuz I played TF2 at a pretty high level and started getting that weird finger nerve thing last year. So thats why I play this now. Got a new mouse (steelseries xai) that I think helps. IMO, the lightest mouse possible is better, so that it requires less energy to move it (pick it up, reposition it, etc). I'm 27 yrs old.

Two years ago playing TF2 my thumb was getting weak. So I quit playing as much (not 24/7); like 2 hours limit per day max. Then I notice my right thumb started occasionally twitching on its own very slightly. Kinda scary.


I type super fast (120-130wpm....same as Destiny) on a filco brown. And have used keyboard since age 17 heavily. So 10 years.

On October 24 2011 14:45 Jayrod wrote:
One of the biggest misconceptions in western medicine is this notion that carpal tunnel is actually caused by repetitive stress. It's a theory that, to be honest, does not have much of a medical basis at all. Truthfully, the most common cause for carpal tunnel is when a specific event like, a pressure fracture or stress fracture crowds or pinches the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. Surgically, you would have what is called a carpal tunnel release procedure, which basically just removes that pressure or crowding. After healing, it's not uncommon that it becomes crowded again in the future... this is where you hear about those unfortunate people who have their CT symptoms constantly returning.

I'm a doctor dealing with worker's compensation patients and a lot of people do try to make claims that typing has caused this, but you really have to be typing in a completely fucked up way to cause the kind of damage required to become afflicted with CTS. To be honest, riding motorcycles for long periods of time or performing construction work (like with jackhammers and similar things) is alot more likely to cause CTS than gaming or even being a stenographer for a courtroom.

Having said all that, some starcraft players are at a higher risk to develop CTS based on two major factors 1) unnatural movements. Some players will stretch out their hand way further to reach certain keys when they could realistically find a more convenient way to do things. 2) Diet. Having a poor diet for all intents and purposes weakens the tissue surrounding the carpal tunnel space putting you at much higher risk to be impacted by the pinching I described above.

At the end of the day, just know that 90% of the time when people say they have carpal tunnel syndrome... they don't. It is easily the most incorrectly diagnosed affliction out there... not counting psychological afflictions.

On October 24 2011 14:38 lastshadow wrote:
A LOT of players get it, they just don't complain about it, and/or it goes unnoticed by the community if they ever do talk about it.