Pain In The Back: Learn From My Mistakes, Young Person
Don't bleach your hair by yourself if it's got a lot of red in it. Don't follow Goldschlager shots with Bloody Marys. Stay away from any guy you think you can "save." Sit up straight. Don't scowl at that hot guy in the bar, a smile is sexier.
There are a lot of things I could tell you, Young Person. But it's more fun to learn it all on your own, and besides, who's to say I'm worth listening to?
But do take care of your back. Back and neck pain in young people is on the rise, and the way we sit for hours playing games really does grind away at the bones and cartilage that keeps your spine pain-free. And once it starts to hurt, it's usually too late.
As a sufferer of back pain myself, I can tell you that not only is low-grade back pain a bitch to get rid of, it also puts a serious cramp in your game. It can also lead to more woeful injuries - I herniated two discs about three years ago and despite great physical therapy, I still have to be careful. And it's effected my game.
Make the jump to see if your gaming habits are good to your back.
Fruit Brute was bemoaning my eternal absence from our occasionally-scheduled 360 play-dates, and it occurred to me that I have indeed been avoiding my consoles in favor of PC gaming. But the behavior wasn't based on preference so much as comfort: sitting in my nice, ergonomically-designed desk chair is pleasant, and I get up often enough that the pressure doesn't wear away at my discs the way it used to.
But sitting slumped on my living room sofa, or constantly adjusting my position to avoid triggering the back pain and potential re-herniation that lurks just around the corner is literally a pain in my ass. So I avoid it.
Now, a few pillows and the forethought to take regular breaks enables me to game freely, but if I'd have taken care of my back before all this mishegas, I'd probably be a less-restricted gamer. Sure, I'm a big guy and I've made more than a few mistakes lifting way too heavily (or with improper form) at the gym, so I'm hardly blaming Kid Icarus for my condition - but sitting slumped, leaning back and straining your neck forward is just about the worst way to sit for hours on end.
Don't take my word for it; here's what the New Zealand Manipulative Physiotherapists Association has to say:
This seems on the cards considering the associated health problems of obesity, reduced levels of activity, and the popularity of passive entertainment systems such as PlayStations that encourage further inactivity and prolonged sitting posture in the adolescent age group.
So take a page out of an old gamer's book and make sure you're kind to your parts, Young Person. You don't want to end up a fabulously handsome cripple like your Uncle Tiny!
[via GamePolitics]
tiny dancer
Posted to Miscellany on 24 August 2007
· Comments (9)
Other stuff like this: back pain, healthy gaming, young person
Tell me about it...my back seized up on me once when I was simply getting out of a computer chair. I had to stand there, unable to move for like two minutes, waiting for the blinding pain to stop. Took a couple of weeks before it stopped hurting, and it still twinges on occasion if I'm not careful.
Luckily I did yoga and learned to limbo like a champ. My problem? my mattress is evil.
Well, as the older demons of SMT: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha VS the Soulless Army like to remind you upon victory--
"It's all in the back! You can do anything if you take care of your back!"
:)
Thanks alot Mr.Tiny Dancer
ill follow your advice and ill be sure to sit up more.
i hope your back gets better soon ;)
Ugh.
While it's probably not from gaming (as I usually don't spend hours in front of the TV), my back has been horrid to me for the last year. Neck and shoulder muscle stress accompanied by back twinges...
I went to the Doctor, who gave me stretches to do, but they involve huge sweeping movements and lots of time, neither of which are accommodated by my daily schedule and living area. Do you, by any chance, know of any stress-relieving stretches or exercises that would be helpful?
luckily for me my back is made out of indestructible metalness
Amen, Tiny!
I do CT/MRI for a living, and people with back pain are probably my most miserable patients.
(On the pain scale, men with kidney stones are a pitiful bunch as well. Ouch.)
Sit properly - and drink your water! :P
Coweh: I found that the slow, horribly boring, stupidly simple daily exercises were unfortunately the best and most effective way to get rid of my back pain and keep it from returning. Keeping your hamstrings and hip flexors from getting too tight, as many men do; yoga-style "cat and camel" stretches; strengthening your lower back with stuff like opposite-arm-and-leg raises while kneeling doggy-style...
They're soooo boring, but they really do help. As does learning the right way to sit, stand, and breathe - which is harder than we think! And yeah, I giggled when I typed doggy-style. :-D
Well Im not one of those "inactive" enthusiasts (though I do play games a lot), my problem is that I AM active. Ive skateboarded for 10 years and snowboarded for 8. The thing is I did them both competitively for a time so my body is completely shot and Im only 24. You dont want to know my list of injuries =X