The popularity of eSports has gained a lot of momentum in recent years. What was once considered a hobby and pastime for children has turned into a fully functional industry on a professional level. Like the great athletes in the NFL, NBA and MLB, the constant hours of practice and competition will take its toll on the player and can limit the amount of time spent playing the sport.
Common eSport injuries are being seen in the wrist, neck, and lower back. These are all considered overuse injuries and are typical of what one would experience when working any type of job and staying in one position for many hours at a time for an extended period of time. Typical professional players will play a minimum of 10-12 hours per day. Many times with limited breaks during a gaming session. Combine this amount of time with weeks, months and years of play and it begins to take its toll on the body. Pain of any kind can cause problems with sports performance. Pain with gaming athletes can be crucial because the pain is likely to be in an area of the body that is meant to be used for playing. Player wrist pain can severely limit the number of hours a player can spend practicing and competing, which will result in the loss of not only a competition, but can also have a terrible impact on the player’s or player’s financial gains. team.
Playing with the pain is also not an adequate solution. By the time an esports player’s injury is bad enough to be noticed, there’s a strong indicator that the problem has been developing for quite some time.
Symptoms of eSport injuries to watch out for, including the following:
- Wrist pain: numbness or tingling in the hand or fingertips, weak grip strength, and general malaise
- Low back pain: Numbness or tingling in the buttocks, legs, or feet. Generalized back pain that increases after sitting for long periods.
- Upper back pain: tightness and general pain near the shoulders and at the base of the neck.
eSport injury solutions include taking note of fatigue that changes your posture while playing and any discomfort that occurs while playing. The best solution is to take breaks while playing and stretch as if you were an athlete performing on the field or court. A proper stretching routine is a must for any professional eSport athlete.