14 DAY TRIAL // If you are reading this right now, you probably are one of those who tried hard and got a Wii for Christmas. Or you already have one and you win all the Wii Bowling games played at home. If that's the case, you should know that "no pain, no gain" has a slightly different meaning when a Nintendo Wii is involved. Like the news that the consoles don't help people lose weight wasn't enough already...
Slowly, this entire Wii-mania that left almost no gaming consoles in game stores is starting to have consequences. No, not for Nintendo or the stores - the good old gamer is the one affected here. Why? Because he's a gamer, of course!
Many players with Wii-related injuries started to arrive at hospitals following the Christmas days - so many that, actually, the New England Journal of Medicine already has a name for this, Wiiitis. What does it mean? Physical therapist Rosemary McGuire tries to explain a bit: "This is perhaps called a play injury a highly repetitive motion doing the same thing over and over again and over using a body part so it gets tired and worn out."
Is this for real? Yes, it is, as the story of hardcore gamer Chris Isakson proves: he spent hours in front of the Wii on Christmas morning, playing all sorts of games, from bowling to baseball. When he woke up the next day, he could still feel "the burn":
"I went to the bathroom, just started streching next to my bed and said 'wow' I'm really sore," he said. "It's like when you tear one of your arm muscles or go like that. It really hurts", Isakson continued.
So, if you don't want your body to suffer from Wiiitis, just take a little break, as Rosemary McGuire recommends: "Listen to your body and if you are a little sore just like a normal athlete put a little ice on it and give it some rest". Of course, the pain can be managed differently, as Chris suggests: "If I just keep doing it, it won't hurt as much because I'll keep using those muscles". Of course, that will only do more harm to your body. It's hard to be a gamer nowadays!