admin Posted on 2:15 pm

Avoid These Esports to Extend Your Career

Professional athletes have a common fear that an injury will end their career before they decide to retire on their own terms. When it comes to an esports injury, carpal tunnel is at the top of the list for a problem that can quickly cause many complaints for gaming athletes and shut down a gaming career.

Carpal tunnel should not be confused with widespread wrist pain, but any discomfort in a player’s wrist should not be ignored at the first sign that something doesn’t feel right. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a set of symptoms that cause discomfort to those who suffer from it and can last long after the gaming session has stopped.

The pain is usually felt as numbness or tingling that worsens with play and during normal activity. A reduction in grip strength may also be noted. Unfortunately, the best solution to prevent these symptoms from getting worse is to stop the activity that is causing the injury. Breaks must be taken.

Most gaming injuries fall into the category of “overuse injury” or are defined as microtrauma. This is a different type of injury compared to injuries to a football, rugby or basketball player. Microtrauma injuries develop over time and can be difficult to heal if the injured area is not allowed adequate rest time to heal.

There are stretches, exercises, braces, and specially designed keyboards, mice, and mouse pads that help prevent injury before it develops.

Follow these tips to reduce the chance that an esports injury will prevent you from playing.

1 – Stretch your neck, arms and wrists before, during and after a gaming session

2 – Take 5-10 minute “standing” breaks every hour.

3 – If you have any pain or discomfort; stop playing and use ice wrapped in a towel for 15-20 minutes to reduce swelling

4 – Seek help from a medical provider who can properly treat your eSports injury

Professional players spend countless hours practicing and competing. The unspoken disadvantage of esports compared to other professional sports is that there is no true “off season” to rest and rehab. This greatly contributes to an injury being aggravated by a lack of enforced rest time. Look at it this way, NBA, MLB and NFL players have 130 to 200+ days out of season to allow injuries to heal before the next season starts. Professional players can literally compete for hours every day with 0 days out of season. This helps create and perpetuate the eSports injury dilemma. Finding the right balance before and after an injury occurs must be managed properly or it will lead to early retirement and long-term health problems for the serious player.

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