Pro Gamer Retires Because Of Repetitive Strain Injury

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
Who knew being a professional gamer could be hazardous to your health? Then again, at 22, I think most of us were in danger of repetitive strain injury too....not just from gaming either. :D

My wrist injury is something that I simply cannot ignore. It limits my ability to play as much as I need to and my ability to improve. I cannot keep up with the amount of Solo Queue games my teammates play and it’s not fair to them. At best, my wrist injury would have only allowed me to play for another split and that wasn’t even certain.
Click to expand...
 
Over time, my teammates started to lose confidence in my abilities as a player and a shotcaller. That’s what really hit me hard. I don’t think that is an obstacle I was able to overcome and it really got to me. I’ve always played the role of a Support Carry from the very beginning and with the meta changing the way I think it is, my play style was not going to work anymore.
Click to expand...

Doesn't sound like its completely related to injury.
 
since alot of folks will read this...
a. look into nighttime pillow splints to wear to bed on amazon (no metal inside) - this stabilizes your hand while you sleep.
b. ask your doctor about voltaren gel, it is a life saver.
c. get a vertical mouse and kensington orbit trackball mouse, switch often
d. university of maryland suggests vitamin d3 and calcium supplements
e. refrain from foods you may be allergic to
f. stretch, qigong, yoga etc.
 
kirbyrj said:
Doesn't sound like its completely related to injury.
Click to expand...

I got RSI from playing video games too much in my early to mid 20's. It really puts a damper on everything. Sounds like he is sticking around in a consulting/leadership role but not as an active player.

Fast wrist twitching and sitting hunched over a desk all day is not good for you period. It's manageable with stretching and moving around even for people with past RSI issues, but I'm sure competitive gaming doesn't allow you the luxury of regular stretching and walking around.

I personally wasn't a pro gamer when it happened to me, but I was raid leader for a pretty competitive guild in WoW back in early days of the game. I pretty much had to give up that and for the most part walked away from all pc gaming. Now I stick to things where I can use a controller or do not require long sessions.

RSI sucks and I suspect it's going to be more and more prevalent with everybody hunched over their tablets/phones nowadays. There is a reason companies invest heavily in ergonomics. They don't want their desk employees suffering from this either and hurting productivity.
 
It sounds like he's using his wrist injury to cover the larger problem that he hasn't adapted to the changes in the game and lost the confidence of his teammates.
 
There are ways to take care of your wrists and hands. For many years now I've played the guitar an average of four to six hours a day, much of that involving intense exercises, and I've never had a problem. While playing I never tense up, keeping everything as relaxed as possible. When not playing I'm constantly doing hand and finger stretches.
 
jroe52 said:
since alot of folks will read this...
a. look into nighttime pillow splints to wear to bed on amazon (no metal inside) - this stabilizes your hand while you sleep.
b. ask your doctor about voltaren gel, it is a life saver.
c. get a vertical mouse and kensington orbit trackball mouse, switch often
d. university of maryland suggests vitamin d3 and calcium supplements
e. refrain from foods you may be allergic to
f. stretch, qigong, yoga etc.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I may need this at some point since I just started using mice again after using an MS Trackball Explorer since shortly after they came out. Needless to say I'm not a big fan of mice. And It's hard to go back to mice after using a trackball for so long.
Sadly the trackball market sucks now that the TBE and Logitech Trackman are discontinued. Thumb balls aren't exactly a great option. Kensington is pretty much the only game in town when it comes to decent trackballs nowadays, but the button layouts are terrible.
I've long said there need to be gaming trackballs. There are so many advantages and so few disadvantages.

I did consider a vertical mouse, but didn't have a lot of time to research them. I ended up with a G602 and a G600. I'm still having trouble getting used to the idea of having to move and lift the stupid things.
 
Get the 30$ish kennsington it has a blue ball and circle scroll mouse, took me a while to get used to it. Then buy a 15$ vertical mouse on amazon to expiriment with. Make sure u read reviews since some are too small for americans
 
mynamehere said:
Thanks, I may need this at some point since I just started using mice again after using an MS Trackball Explorer since shortly after they came out. Needless to say I'm not a big fan of mice. And It's hard to go back to mice after using a trackball for so long.
Sadly the trackball market sucks now that the TBE and Logitech Trackman are discontinued. Thumb balls aren't exactly a great option. Kensington is pretty much the only game in town when it comes to decent trackballs nowadays, but the button layouts are terrible.
I've long said there need to be gaming trackballs. There are so many advantages and so few disadvantages.

I did consider a vertical mouse, but didn't have a lot of time to research them. I ended up with a G602 and a G600. I'm still having trouble getting used to the idea of having to move and lift the stupid things.
Click to expand...

Vertical mice are pretty awesome. They keep your wrist from tensing up. I actually get tightness in my left wrist from typing way before anything in my right/mouse hand these days. I personally use the evoluent line of vertical mice. They aren't cheap but worth every penny. I've also used the 3M vertical joystick looking mouse. It's alright, but looks silly when you are using it and it doesn't have near the functionality of the evoluent mouse. It has 3 buttons and now scroll and doesn't allow for as natural of mouse movement because of the closed grip required to use it.
 
I was using a Sensei Raw and I think the button clicks made my shoulder get tense after a while so I switched to a Rival which has nicer clicks and buttons anyways.
They don't make them like they used to..
 
Same reason I moved to consoles, nothing you can do, some people are very prone to it.
 
kirbyrj said:
It sounds like he's using his wrist injury to cover the larger problem that he hasn't adapted to the changes in the game and lost the confidence of his teammates.
Click to expand...

You are a complete utter JERK, dude.
I hope YOU get RSI. Then maybe you won't be so rude to people far more talented--and rich--than you are.

/rant mode off
Do trackballs help with RSI? Has anyone who has ever gamed on some old mouseman marble ever gotten mouse related RSI? (keyboards are a different story, not touching that.....)
 
Falkentyne said:
You are a complete utter JERK, dude.
I hope YOU get RSI. Then maybe you won't be so rude to people far more talented--and rich--than you are.

/rant mode off
Do trackballs help with RSI? Has anyone who has ever gamed on some old mouseman marble ever gotten mouse related RSI? (keyboards are a different story, not touching that.....)
Click to expand...
You'll stress your hand differently on a trackball, but I can't imagine you'd be completely without RSI dangers. It's Repetitive Stress, and if you do pro gaming there will be a lot of hectic moving around of either wrist or fingers. Maybe it would be beneficial to switch input methods now and then, but I haven't seen anyone do that.
 
Falkentyne said:
You are a complete utter JERK, dude.
I hope YOU get RSI. Then maybe you won't be so rude to people far more talented--and rich--than you are.
Click to expand...

Easy there, tiger. Did you even read the article? The first bullet point was about his wrist injury and the following three points were about the very things kirbyrj covered in his post.
 
I would say the mouse pad and resistance has a lot of do with RSI along with the elbow the rests on your arm chair shouldn't be too tacky like if your computer chair has abrasive arms you might run into problems down the road.
 
Falkentyne said:
You are a complete utter JERK, dude.
I hope YOU get RSI. Then maybe you won't be so rude to people far more talented--and rich--than you are.
Click to expand...

A jerk because I see through the BS story of an injury? He spends one line talking about an "injury" and then 3 bullet points talking about other issues. To wit: the reason he is retiring is the other issues, not the injury. Read between the lines.

Second, I don't wish ill against this guy. I don't know him. I don't wish ill against you either, although for some reason you wish ill against me, but somehow I'm a "jerk."
 
No chinups, no deadlifts. Gee for some reason the only cure is stop all together, or rest. When has that ever been a long term success? My back hurts, lay off of it, in bed, does same thing again, back hurts again...
 
Well not a gamer, but 12+ hours a day in front of a bunch of screens can really mess you up. That is why in addition to the 4 miles I walk to and from the home/train/office, I take a 1 hour hike around Downtown LA every day. I don't want to die at 45.
 
nightanole said:
No chinups, no deadlifts. Gee for some reason the only cure is stop all together, or rest. When has that ever been a long term success? My back hurts, lay off of it, in bed, does same thing again, back hurts again...
Click to expand...

Throwing random exercises at it will not help. However, exercises that strengthen the opposing muscles for the problem can. So upper back/neck muscles and then some on the arms as well. However if somebody just started doing chest and bicept exercises, they would make the issue worse.

The neck is usually the culprit for these problems. Nerves exit the cervical spine and travel down the shoulder/arm/hand. A pinch anywhere along there by muscle or other structure can cause sensations anywhere along the path. So tingling or painful wrist might be a neck/upper back problem.

Anyways, rest, change your environment, and strengthen is how you fix it. 1+2 will give temporary relieve and all 3 should allow you do soldier on hopefully indefinitely. I've had issues for a decade now and still work 12hrs+ at a computer. But I'm also not a professional gamer. I think those demands might be a little more. So the guy was wise to hang up that hat.
 
Falkentyne said:
Then maybe you won't be so rude to people far more talented--and rich--than you are.
Click to expand...
Lighten up Francis!

Point one... "far more talented" ??? Ummm at playing a particular video game, sure. Other aspects of life? Yeah that's a fairly baseless statement, the guy who you're calling a jerk probably is far more talented than this guy at other things in life, who knows maybe things people might consider a bit more useful.

Point two... "and rich"? A quick google shows this guy made about $82k playing this game... over a period of 4 years. Now sure he's probably getting some sponsorship bucks or schwag, but we're not talking CEO of some company here. So saying this guy is richer than the guy you called jerk is also fairly baseless unless you know he lives in his parents basement and has no job.


That said, can this guy get disability insurance now? ... oh wait probably not because (assuming he lives in the US) he never got a paycheck such that they took disability insurance out of it.
 
First a collapsed lung, now RSI.

He's had it rough the last while...
 
it's called getting older. I get out gunned by 12yr olds all the time now, it used to hurt my feelings but I remember being there before so it is okay.
 
Falkentyne said:
You are a complete utter JERK, dude.
I hope YOU get RSI. Then maybe you won't be so rude to people far more talented--and rich--than you are.

/rant mode off
Do trackballs help with RSI? Has anyone who has ever gamed on some old mouseman marble ever gotten mouse related RSI? (keyboards are a different story, not touching that.....)
Click to expand...

The butt-hurt is strong in this one.
 
Most "pro" gamers I've seen are either overweight or 100 lb sticks. I see this guy is staying true to the stereotype. Seriously, I like to game but I also do Muay Thai/BJJ 5 days a week + lift weights 3 days a week. You'd think some of these guys would try to prevent RSI by at least having a decent amount of muscle mass.
 
Falkentyne said:
You are a complete utter JERK, dude.
I hope YOU get RSI. Then maybe you won't be so rude to people far more talented--and rich--than you are.

/rant mode off
Do trackballs help with RSI? Has anyone who has ever gamed on some old mouseman marble ever gotten mouse related RSI? (keyboards are a different story, not touching that.....)
Click to expand...


I use a trackman+ (thumb trackball) for all my FPS gaming. I used to be amazing at CS/DoD and would constantly get banned for 'hacking', even when on friends PCs. And nothing pissed people off more than my spray that said 'real men play with balls' and had a pic of the trackman.

But I suffered the same issue with my wrists/thumbs after playing for probably 10k+ hours, and now I can barely play for 30 minutes before the pain is too much, and even then I have nowhere near the control.

Another thing that REALLY helps is a medical MJ salve/lotion. You would not believe how well/fast that works to relieve the pain. Between my hands/back, it's a lifesaver and keeps me from having to take any pain medication.
 
cvinh said:
Most "pro" gamers I've seen are either overweight or 100 lb sticks. I see this guy is staying true to the stereotype. Seriously, I like to game but I also do Muay Thai/BJJ 5 days a week + lift weights 3 days a week. You'd think some of these guys would try to prevent RSI by at least having a decent amount of muscle mass.
Click to expand...

Didn't do anything for me.

While I was doing martial arts and physical training 15+ hours a week I got RSI a few years ago. I did eventually got over it with physio and targeted exercises, but it took months and I was in comparatively good physical condition. It was quite disruptive, and for a pro gamer I can easily see it as career ending.

Now I am extremely careful of posture and stress points.
 
I like to reduce the stress on my hands and wrists by alternating between both hands for mouse usage. At work I tend to use my mouse left-handed while I use it right-handed at home (because games are a PITA for south-paw configs).

It's also heaps of fun to screw with the minds of my north-paw-exclusive colleagues :D
 
jroe52 said:
Get the 30$ish kennsington it has a blue ball and circle scroll mouse, took me a while to get used to it. Then buy a 15$ vertical mouse on amazon to expiriment with. Make sure u read reviews since some are too small for americans
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I wish I could cope with thumb rollers, but my thumb locks up at points. I've got one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O1HYX9C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, and really want to like it, but just can't.

Dawill said:
Vertical mice are pretty awesome. They keep your wrist from tensing up. I actually get tightness in my left wrist from typing way before anything in my right/mouse hand these days. I personally use the evoluent line of vertical mice. They aren't cheap but worth every penny. I've also used the 3M vertical joystick looking mouse. It's alright, but looks silly when you are using it and it doesn't have near the functionality of the evoluent mouse. It has 3 buttons and now scroll and doesn't allow for as natural of mouse movement because of the closed grip required to use it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I'm so used to just laying my hand on a trackball & not moving more than my fingers that it's a real transition back to a mouse. I definitely find it harder than when I went from a mouse to a trackball.

Falkentyne said:
Do trackballs help with RSI? Has anyone who has ever gamed on some old mouseman marble ever gotten mouse related RSI? (keyboards are a different story, not touching that.....)
Click to expand...
The thing about trackballs is that you only really move your fingers, so there's virtually no wrist strain from moving or lifting your hand. Just plop the thing down & it stays put. There are 2 types, that I label by how you move the ball the "thumb" ball which I don't like, but many do, and the "finger" ball which I love and have used for ~15 years. Like mice, they're not all the same, and the (arguably) best ones have been discontinued.


Okay, enough giggling about thumbing and fingering balls people! :p
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
cvinh said:
Most "pro" gamers I've seen are either overweight or 100 lb sticks. I see this guy is staying true to the stereotype. Seriously, I like to game but I also do Muay Thai/BJJ 5 days a week + lift weights 3 days a week. You'd think some of these guys would try to prevent RSI by at least having a decent amount of muscle mass.
Click to expand...

Seems to me you haven't seen many actual pro gamers and are just letting yourself buy into the typical hard core gamer stereotypes. Very few actual pro's are fat and teens as they are still "growing" tend to be on the thinner side unless they are heavily into physical sports. So really the pro scene just looks like average teenagers. This guy in particular is also Asian and racially speaking it isn't outside body type norms. So really what happened here is you just let your bias and ignorance shine.

As for exercise, most if not all actual pro houses require their players to get a certain amount of it. C9 I know for a fact they all regularly jog and that isn't exactly a "bulking up" type exercise but neither is it indicative of an unhealthy lifestyle either. Fact is to play at this level you are putting in 12+ hours a day every single day and that doesn't leave much time for a great deal else.
 
jroe52 said:
since alot of folks will read this...
a. look into nighttime pillow splints to wear to bed on amazon (no metal inside) - this stabilizes your hand while you sleep.
b. ask your doctor about voltaren gel, it is a life saver.
c. get a vertical mouse and kensington orbit trackball mouse, switch often
d. university of maryland suggests vitamin d3 and calcium supplements
e. refrain from foods you may be allergic to
f. stretch, qigong, yoga etc.
Click to expand...

Or you can...you know...cut back on playing video games to the point where you aren't injuring yourself doing one of the most non-physical activities on the planet.
 
Let's see... Age 22, that was 4 years after SC Brood Wars for me... Still no repetitive stress injuries 13 years later. Even as a "pro" gamer for a time.
 
Falkentyne said:
Do trackballs help with RSI? Has anyone who has ever gamed on some old mouseman marble ever gotten mouse related RSI? (keyboards are a different story, not touching that.....)
Click to expand...
I used trackballs for years before switching to mice. The problem isn't the mouse, it's the fact that you lean your wrist on the table and that puts pressure on your nerves. Making an effort to raise your wrist off whatever you are resting them has made the biggest impact for me.

Also, the old Logitech Marble trackball I used to use, really destroyed my thumb joint. I suspect the other trackball designs will also take a toll on your joints. I wouldn't recommend them.

Never used a vertical mouse, but those look like they would be the best to really relieve the pressure off your nerves.
 
Lack of protein could cause tearing of the muscles ligaments wearing out cause it doesn't rebuild faster enough.
 
Biznatch said:
I use a trackman+ (thumb trackball) for all my FPS gaming. I used to be amazing at CS/DoD and would constantly get banned for 'hacking', even when on friends PCs. And nothing pissed people off more than my spray that said 'real men play with balls' and had a pic of the trackman.

But I suffered the same issue with my wrists/thumbs after playing for probably 10k+ hours, and now I can barely play for 30 minutes before the pain is too much, and even then I have nowhere near the control.

Another thing that REALLY helps is a medical MJ salve/lotion. You would not believe how well/fast that works to relieve the pain. Between my hands/back, it's a lifesaver and keeps me from having to take any pain medication.
Click to expand...
I'll have to remember the to try ointment if I have problems. I used to dual box MMO using 2 PCs each with MS TBEs and almost no one ever picked up on the fact that I was also playing the healer in addition to my main. I'd only tell them I was if things were getting too crazy for me to deal with. Always knowing exactly where the trackballs are made a huge difference.

sleepeeg3 said:
I used trackballs for years before switching to mice. The problem isn't the mouse, it's the fact that you lean your wrist on the table and that puts pressure on your nerves. Making an effort to raise your wrist off whatever you are resting them has made the biggest impact for me.

Also, the old Logitech Marble trackball I used to use, really destroyed my thumb joint. I suspect the other trackball designs will also take a toll on your joints. I wouldn't recommend them.

Never used a vertical mouse, but those look like they would be the best to really relieve the pressure off your nerves.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll have to try to remember to raise my wrist since I'm not used to having to move it at all.

I thought the Marble Mouse was the ambidextrous "finger" ball. I never have understood the whole "thumb" ball thing. The thumb isn't made to move on so many directions as the fingers can. I love my MS TBEs for ~15 years now, but they're so expensive to replace these days I've had to move on. I rarely ever developed pain from my TBE, but I will admit that there were a few times, but like an absolute idiot I was dual boxing MMOs for 18+ hours a lot back then. Also, with "finger" balls it's easier to use more of the finger/hand to roll it if needed.


My (discontinued) preferred weapon of choice:
Microsoft Trackball Explorer
An updated gaming version of this would be incredible. Possibly packaged with changeable high and low speed balls to immitate mouse mat surface sensitivity for different types of games.

I'd grab one of these if they weren't also discontinued:
Logitech Cordless Optical TrackMan

Why, oh why were the two (arguably) best trackballs ever made discontinued?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top