Occupational over use syndrome

[CrazyMobius]

Hey does anyone else here find they get some occupational over use syndrome from playing on the stick too much? I don't really get it from playing at an arcade but have found after playing SFIV on the stick at home my left forearm has started acting up.

Any feedback or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Lennysaurus]

OOS is generally in the wrist, finger, and/or elbow joints.  Youll find that you wont tend to get it from playing on a joystick as you usually end up micropausing between rounds.

How is your arm acting up?  How long do you play for before your arm begins to hurt?  Do you do alot of typing during the day at your work?

OOS fucking hurts.  If you have RSI or OOS its not just discomfort, it is fucking pain.  I deal with it reasonably frequently in my line of work.

[HoneyBadger]

You can only really take breaks and stretch. If it's like tension and aching sort of shit hot bath or like a hot water bottle stuff on your arm would work too.

[fluxcore]

Both my hands are totally fucked, and it definitely messes up my fighting games :/

Mainly I think it's from the tapping of the buttons. FPSes gave me problems in my left hand (from pressing wsad a lot) and index finger of right hand (shooting shit), fighting games are better on my left hand but right hand still gets messed up.

Plus I sit at a computer all fucking day at my job which messes up both hands, back, eyes etc...

Goddamn stupid computer-based work/hobbies and getting old!

[Lennysaurus]

Thats not good Alan.  Plenty of people work and live on computers alot and are able to enjoy normal lives outside of work.  No job should risk your health.  Do you have a health and safety officer in your workplace?  Your employer needs to take responsibility of hazards in the workplace.  OOS is a huge one, and one of the biggest ACC sinkholes our workforce has.

I have seen cases of untreated OOS that have lead to people not being able to wipe thier own arses.  Its a serious problem and should be treated as such.

[fluxcore]

Work will do whatever I want basically to help, but tbh the only thing that would REALLY help is to not sit at a computer all day.

And yeah I have considered quitting because of it...

[geneterror]

I'm not to bad at the moment but have been bad in the past. Like a few of you I play a lot of game and I have noticed a dull ache in my forearm again since SF4 came out, it doesn't help I do Graphic Design for a living so I'm on the comp all day.
There are good exercises you can do to help and taking breaks helps, I usually go have a cone haha or go talk to my fiance for a bit (usually over a cone).
Stretching and taking breaks really is the main thing though, my fiance has REALLy bad RSI at the moment, she's been struggling to get through a day of work. She went to a specialist and got given exercises to do.
Simon, next time I see you I can show you a few stretches to do that will help. I do them on the way to work every morning. I might have to start doing them on the way home if I keep up with this much SF4.

[[NIUE] BIRRY WONG]

Its probably not the same, but i get "mashing blisters" from mashing supers in marvel.

[fluxcore]

Simon, next time I see you I can show you a few stretches to do that will help. I do them on the way to work every morning.

I'd be interested in seeing these too, I have some exercises I'm supposed to do, but may as well see some more anyway.

There are good exercises you can do to help and taking breaks helps, I usually go have a cone haha

Interested in this form of exercise too

[stereomonkey]

Hmmm, in some aspects of my job I guess I'm lucky.  I work at a removals company doing sales and project managing.  So I have the option of staying inside the office all day doing quotes and planning, logistics shit.  Or I can go out and do the physical side of the job helping out the boys move shit.  So in the long run my hands don't get to fucked.  But then again... I can stuff my back when carrying stuff so thats not good >_<

Also... if I play Marvel, that shit fucks me up!

[CrazyMobius]

Thanks for the tips guys. 

I work at a computer during the day. But the pain is in my mid left forearm (not my mouse arm). Today the new yellow pages came in so I put another stack of yellow pages under my joystick (so 4 yellow pages in total ) That seemed to help a bit.

Funnily enough I did some press ups which helped also. I think they must have stimulated the surrounding muscles or some such thing. (?)

Also I noticed the pain came after I started doing higher level trials in challenge mode. 

I think though that this is a useful thread for others that might get afflicted by this problem.

[fluxcore]

Funnily enough I did some press ups which helped also. I think they must have stimulated the surrounding muscles or some such thing. (?)

My physio basically reinforced this - it's mainly about doing different activities. If everything is little micro movements (like typing or tapping buttons), then you'll definitely get in trouble sooner or later.
Any kind of macro movement (be it table tennis, swimming, drumming, weightlifting, whatever) helps to balance it all out.

[[8-----D] Toots]

I use to get this (pain in left forearm) when I was playing guitar pretty seriously. I would practice continuously for around 2-3 hours a day only stopping because my forearm wouldn't go no more. Basically the way I got around it was by building up the strength in my arm by doing multiple short sessions with decent brakes in between (around 20 mins of practicing 20 mins of rest). Did the trick for me. Having a toss with your left hand mite help too......

[stereomonkey]

Having a toss with your left hand mite help too......

I always thought that is what women are for... plus I think that is why they suffer from pains in the arm and neck.

[CrazyMobius]

Funnily enough I did some press ups which helped also. I think they must have stimulated the surrounding muscles or some such thing. (?)

My physio basically reinforced this - it's mainly about doing different activities. If everything is little micro movements (like typing or tapping buttons), then you'll definitely get in trouble sooner or later.
Any kind of macro movement (be it table tennis, swimming, drumming, weightlifting, whatever) helps to balance it all out.

Sweet. I'll keep this in mind from now now. Thanks!!!