"Gamer's thumb" disorder

The "gamer's thumb" is a typical problem of the gamer.

Have you ever had a sore thumb after playing video games for 4 or 5 hours?

Here, you may have this repetitive stress injury.

Two tendons of the wrist and hand are involved and have the function of extending the thumb and moving it away from the other fingers and the palm of the hand.

Typical symptoms are thumb and wrist pain and decreased grip strength.

For the posture linked to the use of thumbsticks, console gamers are more affected than PC gamers.

Some professional players have had to withdraw from some competitions due to hand and wrist injuries.

How to prevent "Gamer's thumb":

- Play for shorter periods of time

- Stretch before playing and during breaks

- Take frequent breaks

If the disturbance continues, keep your hand at rest and contact your doctor.

Usually it can be easily treated with an anti-inflammatory drug but in some cases one opts for occupational therapy or corticosteroids, in more serious cases instead a surgeon must take care of it.