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Nov 30, 2006 8:53 pm US/Pacific
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Video Game Players Getting More Injuries
by Sue Kwon
(CBS 5)
The Nintendo Wii has barely been out for two weeks. And already there signs the gaming console is being overplayed.
The Wall Street Journal reported cases of numb arms, sore shoulders, and the dreaded "Wii-elbow," all caused by jerky or repetitive motions.
"It damages mostly your tendons, but also your ligaments so you can get things like tendonitis. Or repetitive stress, sprains of your elbow, your wrist or your fingers," said chiropractor Dr. Daniel Latch.
Dr. Latch says it's not just the Wii. He's a PlayStation fan himself, and finds fellow gamers on all consoles overwork the tendons in their thumbs, and muscles in their necks.
So his advice: take breaks.
"Just stretch about every 45 minutes to an hour," Latch said. "Definitely get up and walk around for five minutes and do some stretches. Move your neck around. Move your wrist, back and shoulders around . Stretch your back."
And just as important, stretching the muscles in the eyes.
Optometrist Dr. Chester Quan says gamers should follow the 20-20 rule. "Every 20 minutes of continued use up close, you need to take a 20 second break by looking at something 20 feet away," Dr Chester explained. "When you look at things far away, it releases the contraction and stretches the muscle. Thus, not keeping contracted and therefore not causing eye strain or pain or soreness in eyes."
He is seeing a growing trend in nearsightedness. And in teens, the need for more rapid prescription changes, likely due to an increased exposure to computer screens and video games.
So health professionals warn, it's not all fun in games. Play in moderation.
"I love the technology, I love the graphics," Dr. Latch said. "But it can be too much of a good thing."
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)