HealthFirst

HealthFirst-Video game injuries

Friday, October 02, 2009

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Leslie Toldo
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UNDATED (WJRT) -- (10/02/09) -- One of the most popular video gaming crazes has sparked its very own category of high-tech injuries.

HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo tells us about the not-so-virtual consequences of the Nintendo Wii.

The Wii is a fun way to get in a workout and some good quality family time

The game is also a great way to make a fool of yourself in front of a group of people. But you can get hurt if you don't know when to say "when" with your Wii.

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Move over Monopoly. This is what many family game nights look like now.

For the young or just young at heart, Wii is the workout happening in living rooms across the country.

Noel Blair got hooked on bowling. "Almost daily, I was doing it game after game after game. And then you lose track of how many games you played."

She pulled the muscle that sits over her sciatic nerve. "I went to get out of bed, and I had the worst pain."

It's not your typical sports strain. Orthopedic specialists like Dr. John Sperling call it Wii-itis. "Sort of sparked a whole other type of injury that we've actually never even seen before."

It's an injury that made its way into the New England Journal of Medicine. Doctors in Britain say up to 10 people are hospitalized each week with Wii-itis.

"For most people, they would play maybe an hour of tennis and stop after that. But with the Wii, there's an unlimited amount of time you can play, and there's really not the same feedback of getting tired playing a sport," Sperling explained.

In normal sports, the force of impact slows the arm. With Wii, no ball means no force, and swinging through air causes strain.

"In this, there's nothing really to resist that force," Sperling said.

Doctors say, don't blame the game -- just don't overdo it. A simple flick of the wrist is enough to bowl a strike or return a serve.

Thirty minutes should get in a good workout without causing pain. Make sure to warm up and take breaks, even if you don't think you're tired.

After physical therapy, Noel is back in the game. Now, though, she hits her strikes sitting down.

There are health and safety warnings that pop up during many of the Wii games. The most common injuries are to the elbows, knees, back and forearms.