14 DAY TRIAL // RSI - repetitive strain injury, also called repetitive stress injury or typing injury, is an occupational overuse syndrome affecting muscles, tendons and nerves.
You might have seen the notice on some keyboards that warns you that a prolonged use of it can cause injuries. There are a number of studies on this matter but the most important fact is that it's not recognized by HR (human resources) in a company as a real physical disorder.
I am talking about it because one of the most affected categories is gamers. You may not know you're having problems and believe that is something that will pass over time; you couldn't be more wrong about it.
The main area affected by this injury, especially in games, is the wrist. Not everyone is having problems because we are not alike; some are more resilient then others or have different postures when using the computer.
I made fun of the warnings for years thinking they are just money thrown away on stupid researches and on idiot-proof peripherals, until it hit me. I started getting this annoying pain in the right wrist that wouldn't stop. It went on for months and my condition got better only when I got a break from the computer.
I have no doubt that the pain was caused by the overuse of the mouse without proper precautions being taken. You will say this is not a problem to worry about and it affects only a small percentage of the gamer population.
The awful truth is that RSI is not the only problem that can occur when using the computer. Another, even more serious condition is the Carpal tunnel syndrome, a medical condition (as described on Wikipedia) in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist causing symptoms like tingling, pain, coldness, and sometimes weakness in parts of the hand. It is the best known of a class of disorders called repetitive strain injuries. Sounds familiar?
This is such an important disorder that it even has its own web page, www.ctsplace.com. If you think this is not an important issue, think again. One of the recent studies on this matter are at least worrying: 10 percent of frequent computer users meet clinical criteria for carpal tunnel syndrome, and nerve conduction studies are abnormal in 3.5 percent of these persons.
The use of the computer is not the only way to contract such an injury - obesity and being a woman are the other two important factors. Women are three times more likely to acquire this unusual disorder.
All these problems are included in a more general category called Computer Related Injuries, which also includes some other conditions like tendonitis, eye problems (like difficulty in focusing, blurred vision and headaches), musculoskeletal problems (because of the bad posture when playing for hours and hours without any rest World of Warcraft, for example) and overuse injuries (which is not restricted only to wrists but includes the fingers and back as well).
Seeing all these problems that can affect the human body just by staying in the front of the computer makes you wonder if it's even worth it. Well, apparently it is worth it, because we subdue ourselves to these tortures for the pleasure of finishing a game or to get to the next level.
What all gamers have to understand (including myself) is that the game and no matter what objective we try to achieve, will still be there tomorrow or after one hour of sleep or pause.
Which brings us to the last and the most important Computer Related Injury: addiction. This is not officially included in any studies, but I believe that our mental strength and integrity is the most important aspect of all. Let's face it: there are just two addiction givers: Internet and games. People are dying because of games. This is not a joke and it's getting more and more serious with time.
I'm not telling you not to play or surf the Internet, but to do so with a certain measure that will respect your body and mind. We all believe that being young and strong is enough to protect us, but this is our most fragile moment.
Mens sana in corpore sano!