The online gaming industry is on the up and up and has been for years with no signs of slowing anytime soon. If you are an avid gamer or work as a game tester in the online gaming industry, then you may know what it’s like to receive a gaming related injury. One of the most common injuries that people sustain from iGaming is repetitive strain. Overuse can cause sore hands and can even lead to problems such as carpal tunnel. Pain in your hands can be caused by a number of different things including;
- Swelling
- Compression
- Damage to nerves
- Damage to tendons
How to Help Prevent Injury in the Online Gaming Industry
There is no way to fully prevent repetitive strain, especially if you play games for hours on end, however, you can help reduce your risk and reduce the pain with these simple tips;
Basic Hand Stretches
Hand stretches are essential to help ensure minimal pain and injury when iGaming. Taking small breaks between playing to do hand stretches could actually allow you to play longer as it is the most effective way to help prevent injuries in the first place.
Useful hand and palm stretch to know:
- Hold hand in front of you with palm facing away and fingers pointed down.
- Gently pull your fingers towards you with your other hand.
- Next, point your fingers down with your palm facing you and place your free hand against the back of the hand your stretching.
- Again, gently pull your fingers towards you.
There are many other different hand stretches that you can do and using a variation of them will help reduce your risk of injury significantly. To be able to progress in any industry you need to practise your craft and when you’re in the online gaming industry doing hand exercises can prevent you from injury.
Hand Strengthening
Hand strengthening is an essential part of helping to prevent repetitive strain and it’s as easy as getting a ball of silly putty and squeezing it in your hands. This is far better than a stress ball as they can cause you to repeat the same movements over and over again – which is what is causing the pain to begin with. Something a bit more versatile, such as silly putty, can help you to strengthen your hands in different ways.
Splints
A splint that wraps around your thumb and wrist can be used to help keep your wrists in a natural position, creating less strain but still allowing you to play at the same time.
Physical Therapy
The online gaming industry has caused a rise in the number of people receiving physical therapy for their hands. Physical therapy can help many people but people often make the mistake of stopping treatment and doing their recommended at home exercises once the pain begins to get better. Physical therapy must be ongoing to have long-lasting effects.
Horace is a health and wellness researcher with expertise in holistic medicine and evidence-based treatments. His writing covers everything from nutrition and fitness to emerging healthcare technologies.