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General discussion (archive)Carpal tunnel ending my PC gaming addiction it seems(161 posts)(161 posts)
(161 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted October 24, 2013
I usually don't get personal on forums, but forgive me this brief info dump on my personal life.

I've been having subtle wrist pain for a couple years now when PC gaming for long stretches of time. I read all the literature on how to prevent it, and I always stopped gaming when it started hurting, but nothing has ever stopped it. I use a claw-grip style mouse hold and it means I move my wrist a LOT when gaming, and put a lot of pressure on it. All attempts to change to a palm-grip style have failed, I just can't get used to it.

Recently the pain and discomfort have been coming earlier, as soon as 20-30 minutes into a gaming session. I finally went and saw a doctor. I have early stage carpal tunnel, and was advised to stop using a mouse to game (or at all, preferably).

I'm not sure what my next steps are. My girl wants me to get a laptop and switch to console gaming, which probably does make the most sense. I know half my Steam library works with gamepads though so I am debating my options. I still plan to play my GOG classics on a touchpad when I can (adventure, rpg, etc) but some of the more modern shooters will probably be shelved. How does Deus Ex play on PS2? Haha... ha... oh god.

Anyway... input is nice, or just salute the end of a 20 year PC gaming addiction, possibly for the better.

Thanks for your time.
Posted October 24, 2013
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StingingVelvet: I usually don't get personal on forums, but forgive me this brief info dump on my personal life.

I've been having subtle wrist pain for a couple years now when PC gaming for long stretches of time. I read all the literature on how to prevent it, and I always stopped gaming when it started hurting, but nothing has ever stopped it. I use a claw-grip style mouse hold and it means I move my wrist a LOT when gaming, and put a lot of pressure on it. All attempts to change to a palm-grip style have failed, I just can't get used to it.

Recently the pain and discomfort have been coming earlier, as soon as 20-30 minutes into a gaming session. I finally went and saw a doctor. I have early stage carpal tunnel, and was advised to stop using a mouse to game (or at all, preferably).

I'm not sure what my next steps are. My girl wants me to get a laptop and switch to console gaming, which probably does make the most sense. I know half my Steam library works with gamepads though so I am debating my options. I still plan to play my GOG classics on a touchpad when I can (adventure, rpg, etc) but some of the more modern shooters will probably be shelved. How does Deus Ex play on PS2? Haha... ha... oh god.

Anyway... input is nice, or just salute the end of a 20 year PC gaming addiction, possibly for the better.

Thanks for your time.
I am sorry to hear about carpal tunnel, had a friend go through the operation and it's not fun :/

I've always used those mouse pads that have wrist rests so that my wrist is elevated and such and I can play for several hours straight without pain in the wrists. Have you been gaming without a proper mouse pad? Also, aren't there some sort of wrist straps that can help somewhat? Sorry i don't know much about this kind of thing :/
Posted October 24, 2013
Ugh, sorry to hear that. I guess your only option is to go console. Better than no gaming at all. Is surgery an option for this (and if so, would you be able to game on the PC again)?
Posted October 24, 2013
I had carpal tunnel for a while, and it eventrually went away. I just used a special wrist brace to keep my wrist straight during gaming and sleeping.

My wrist ached a lot, then one day I tried going without the brace, and the aching stopped - seems I was cured....

But for the most part my CPS symptoms were not pain but numbness / tingling, so perhaps it was never very severe.

Btw, maybe the Steam Controller will solve your issue for games which require the use of the mouse?
Post edited October 24, 2013 by kalirion
Posted October 24, 2013
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Coelocanth: Ugh, sorry to hear that. I guess your only option is to go console. Better than no gaming at all. Is surgery an option for this (and if so, would you be able to game on the PC again)?
I'm trying to avoid the surgery by stopping cold turkey. We'll see what happens.
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JudasIscariot: I've always used those mouse pads that have wrist rests so that my wrist is elevated and such and I can play for several hours straight without pain in the wrists. Have you been gaming without a proper mouse pad? Also, aren't there some sort of wrist straps that can help somewhat? Sorry i don't know much about this kind of thing :/
My tight claw grip doesn't work well with padded mice pads, I've tried it. I've tried a ton of things the last few months and none really worked, sadly. Then I tried using a gamepad only for a couple days and immediately experienced relief. It was pretty crazy.
Post edited October 24, 2013 by StingingVelvet
Posted October 24, 2013
Since my desk setup isn't particularly ergonomic, I've recently taken to using my gamepad as much as possible while gaming. This works well, because I can vary my posture a lot more, and there are a lot of great games that simply work better with a gamepad anyway. I don't suffer from CTS myself, nor do I believe I am experiencing any of the related symptoms, but I can say that you shouldn't give up on PC gaming just yet.
Posted October 24, 2013
That sucks. :<

Apparently you've had it for a while since the pain/discomfort only begins once you have it. Be careful about going cold turkey and leaving it at that. You do need the correct diagnosis for the state it's at now and not just guesswork. You don't want to do anything to aggravate it, but you also don't want to not do something that can help fix it.
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JudasIscariot: I've always used those mouse pads that have wrist rests so that my wrist is elevated and such and I can play for several hours straight without pain in the wrists.
Do you mean to say that after several hours your wrist may hurt? Cause that's not good either. ^^

My chair is like here _ and my table -, so _- it's already elevated for me. I think the type of mouse one has is also a factor. You need a comfortable grip and a good DPI to limit the amount of movement required to perform tasks. Coupled with some strength exercises (including grippers) I think you can prevent it entirely.

Edit: Also...your hand is most relaxed when in a grip similar to holding a water bottle. That is the relaxed position, for the record. :P
Post edited October 24, 2013 by MaximumBunny
Posted October 24, 2013
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Coelocanth: Ugh, sorry to hear that. I guess your only option is to go console. Better than no gaming at all. Is surgery an option for this (and if so, would you be able to game on the PC again)?
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StingingVelvet: I'm trying to avoid the surgery by stopping cold turkey. We'll see what happens.
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JudasIscariot: I've always used those mouse pads that have wrist rests so that my wrist is elevated and such and I can play for several hours straight without pain in the wrists. Have you been gaming without a proper mouse pad? Also, aren't there some sort of wrist straps that can help somewhat? Sorry i don't know much about this kind of thing :/
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StingingVelvet: My tight claw grip doesn't work well with padded mice pads, I've tried it. I've tried a ton of things the last few months and none really worked, sadly. Then I tried using a gamepad only for a couple days and immediately experienced relief. It was pretty crazy.
Hmmm, how much of a claw are we talking about? I mean are you seriously contorting your fingers into a claw?

The reason I advocate mouse pads with those wrist rests is because it's not just how much you move wrist but also at what angle everything is when you're moving it about :).
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MaximumBunny: That sucks. :<

Apparently you've had it for a while since the pain/discomfort only begins once you have it. Be careful about going cold turkey and leaving it at that. You do need the correct diagnosis for the state it's at now and not just guesswork. You don't want to do anything to aggravate it, but you also don't want to not do something that can help fix it.
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JudasIscariot: I've always used those mouse pads that have wrist rests so that my wrist is elevated and such and I can play for several hours straight without pain in the wrists.
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MaximumBunny: Do you mean to say that after several hours your wrist may hurt? Cause that's not good either. ^^

My chair is like here _ and my table -, so _- it's already elevated for me. I think the type of mouse one has is also a factor. You need a comfortable grip and a good DPI to limit the amount of movement required to perform tasks. Coupled with some strength exercises (including grippers) I think you can prevent it entirely.
Well I personally don't recall any wrist pain after, say, a weekend with the new Shadow Warrior :)

I also do some stretching of the wrist by moving my hand around and sometimes gently forcing it in another direction just to keep the wrists limber. Plus, I stretch all the time and that includes my hands :)
Post edited October 24, 2013 by JudasIscariot
Posted October 24, 2013
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kalirion: I had carpal tunnel for a while, and it eventrually went away. I just used a special wrist brace to keep my wrist straight during gaming and sleeping.

My wrist ached a lot, then one day I tried going without the brace, and the aching stopped - seems I was cured....
I have a brace but haven't used it for a long time as it was uncomfortable.

But I've been playing Sacred 2 a lot recently and it's been causing my CTS to flare up quite badly.

You've inspired me to go and find that brace and start using it again. Whilst it was uncomfortable and caused pain whilst gaming, the advantage is I never had the lingering pain after the gaming session was over.
Posted October 24, 2013
I know you said you use a Claw mouse, but have you tried any ergometric mice? They do require a bit of practice using, but they do help quite a lot.

It may just mean getting into a new habit.
Posted October 24, 2013
I've tried mousepads with wristpads myself, when I also got pains when gaming or working on the computer for too long. But I couldn't move the mouse properly with it because of the small manouvering space. Then I came a cross a gel-wristpad that's separate, so I can have it a few inches away from the mousepad, just sitting on the edge of my desk.

But as your (Stinging Velvet's) pain is so frequent and comes so quick, less gaming would really be very advisable I think. But I'm not an expert on it, least of all on gamepads (never tried one).
Posted October 24, 2013
I suffer from severe carpal tunnel too, but it's gotten a little better than wrapped cloth around chair's armrest to add bump to the armrest to elevate my wrist. I also stopped using a mousepad since it elevates the mouse. The pain/discomfort is still there sometimes but not as frequent or severe as before, and hopefully it steadily goes away. This is one reason why I like to play consoles.
Posted October 24, 2013
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amok: I know you said you use a Claw mouse, but have you tried any ergometric mice? They do require a bit of practice using, but they do help quite a lot.
Not to sound dramatic but I'm having such a hard time even attempting to use any other mouse style that I'd rather just use a gamepad anyway. That's kind of how I'm looking at it.

And if I'm going to be using a pad on a TV anyway I wonder why I would spend $1200 on an upgrade soon to play next-gen games. It's kind of all related in that respect.
Posted October 24, 2013
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amok: I know you said you use a Claw mouse, but have you tried any ergometric mice? They do require a bit of practice using, but they do help quite a lot.
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StingingVelvet: Not to sound dramatic but I'm having such a hard time even attempting to use any other mouse style that I'd rather just use a gamepad anyway. That's kind of how I'm looking at it.

And if I'm going to be using a pad on a TV anyway I wonder why I would spend $1200 on an upgrade soon to play next-gen games. It's kind of all related in that respect.
yeah, I guess that's fair enough. Well, good luck, and I do hope you get better soon.
Posted October 24, 2013
Oh well, time to go console then. It's okay, you can go both sides :p
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This is my favourite topic
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General discussion (archive)Carpal tunnel ending my PC gaming addiction it seems(161 posts)(161 posts)
(161 posts)