Arthritis?!

[blonde]

Does smash at a high level of playing on a 64 controller give players arthritis?

 

[dandan]

surely not, maybe carpal tunnel, but the way the pad is held suggests otherwise. using a keyboard is much more problematic to your joints.

 

[Blue Yoshi]

I have no idea if my method of holding the controller is better or worse in terms of future hand problems... but in my opinion, it's much more comfortable than the standard way of holding it

 

[asianaussie]

Theoretically, it is possible to get arthritis from continued, vigorous hand movements over a long span of time (dual meaning what)...but there isn't any evidence to truly support it, so you can only speculate.

 

[Blackshadow]

EDIT: Wrong thread >:C

 

[blonde]

I was just curious because after acouple hours of high level of play in smash my hand huirts, hopefully wont contribute to hand problems in future.

 

[Jon Farron]

I was just curious because after acouple hours of high level of play in smash my hand huirts, hopefully wont contribute to hand problems in future.

It hurts because you've played it too much without taking a break, and after a while your hand starts to cramp from being in the same position for so long.

 

[Blue Yoshi]

Stretch out your hands after every game, and it shouldn't be that big a deal. Shake them around... etc. At least that's what I do, and I don't get hand cramps at all from playing on the 64 controller. Melee... though... that's another story (partially because it's much faster... and I main GaW (low tier) so I have to play that much harder)

 

[M3tr01D]

Once you get used to playing then you won't have hand problems.

 

[SuPeRbOoM]

I've never had problems other than DI'ing too hard and ripping skin LOL

 

[blonde]

Once you get used to playing then you won't have hand problems.

well thats just not true at all.
and i cant tell if ur joking or not superboom hahaha. no ones really given me a straight answer about actual damage to my hand, because after i play 3-4 hours my hands are done for a coyple dayz

 

[Stormcrow2]

well thats just not true at all.
and i cant tell if ur joking or not superboom hahaha. no ones really given me a straight answer about actual damage to my hand, because after i play 3-4 hours my hands are done for a coyple dayz

How old are you? It's very unlikely that it'll cause arthritis. You might be gripping the controller too tightly, which could cause a lot of unnecessary tension in your muscles, and after playing for a while can make them sore for a couple days. As stated already, shake your hands around after every other match or so, if you play a lot.

Carpel tunnel is 10x more likely to result from playing on the controller a lot than arthritis. Same with the keyboard. People who work desk jobs and have to use the keyboard for countless hours are probably trained to do a certain kind of stretch. Stick your arm straight out, and bend your fingers back with your other hand. Do it so that you feel a good stretch underneath your forearm, and hold it for a bit. Just dont do it so hard that it hurts your fingers and wrists. Then, repeat with the other arm. Then, turn your hand so your fingers face away from your body (left/right), and reapeat that. You can also massage your forearm underneath after doing this stretch. It really does help, and it feels good. I do this stretch for 5 minutes almost every day, and I never have problems. I play trumpet and do a fair share of video games in my spare time, so I use my fingers on the right hand quite a bit (maybe not only for those things.... ), and it really helps. Like I said it just takes a few minutes.. I usually do these while sitting in classes, as it feels better after taking notes for long periods of time as well.
Hope this helps.
-Storm

 

[hamburglar]

^ stormcrow is correct. usually if there is a problem with your hands it has to do more with how much pressure to use to play than how long you play. try and practice hitting the buttons and joystick lightly. i used to mash the buttons harder but my hands would get tired before one 5 stock match finished, eventually i started trying to tap each button as lightly as possible while still performing the desired attack. it helps make you faster too.

 

[DMoogle]

I've had carpal tunnel from using a mouse on computers (stopped after a while once I switched to an Evoluent VerticalMouse). I've never had problems from controllers though, except for a sore thumb if I play a long session and haven't been playing recently.

 

[Battlecow]

Bro, your hands are sore. It happens. Sore hands do not equal arthritis; you're just getting cramps. Happens to me all the time, but goes away when I stretch out my hands between games.

 

[asianaussie]

You realise arthritis is a problem caused by continual use, not by one bout of playing?

 

[blonde]

You realise arthritis is a problem caused by continual use, not by one bout of playing?

well clearly, ive been playing for around 4 years, im just wondering how tons of play time and very fast movements and how it will afffect my hands in the future.

 

[asianaussie]

I was talking to battlecow.

In several decades, you might get arthritis, and if you do, you'll get it earlier than someone who didn't play as much as you.

That's the theory, anyway. There's no real proof behind it.

 

[BrutalXSpawn]

I highly doubt it.

 

[Stormcrow2]

Look over my previous post again. You're probably gripping your control too tightly.... don't add unnecessary tension to your fingers/hands while playing; the buttons take no more than a tap to register, and you should not be pressing down hard with your thumb on the analog stick - lightly resting it with just enough pressure to move it without your thumb sliding off. Most sticks are designed with some sort of lines or little bumps to give your thumb tip a grip on it (except for playstation ones i suppose).

I play a lot of xbox 360 and ssb 64, as well as playing trumpet pretty much every day, and my fingers/hands never really get hurt or feel sore.

 

[UnholyWeapon]

I never notice anything to my hands? Maybe you play too much :D! But don't we all>?

 

[srbsburrito]

Look over my previous post again. You're probably gripping your control too tightly.... don't add unnecessary tension to your fingers/hands while playing; the buttons take no more than a tap to register, and you should not be pressing down hard with your thumb on the analog stick - lightly resting it with just enough pressure to move it without your thumb sliding off. Most sticks are designed with some sort of lines or little bumps to give your thumb tip a grip on it (except for playstation ones i suppose).

I play a lot of xbox 360 and ssb 64, as well as playing trumpet pretty much every day, and my fingers/hands never really get hurt or feel sore.

After a couple matches my hand starts crapping out to the point were i need to wait a bit to continue.I think its b/c how many movements are involved towards the fingers, at a very fast pace and the style you handle your controller. Yea pressure has a good deal in it but that changes thru out the game. Only 64 so idk....

 

[Daedatheus]

This is just like playing an instrument. Ideally you practice slowly and increase the speed until it's where you want it, but still relaxed since you've been slowly ramping it up relaxed the entire way. Of course with video games, practicing at a slower speed first usually is too much of a pain in the *** or can create bad habits when you just want to play the game.

Try to consciously have relaxed hands while you play, make it unconscious through practice, and you will have better control and less pain over time.

 

[Battlecow]

You realise arthritis is a problem caused by continual use, not by one bout of playing?

Sure, but I was trying to explain that he did not have arthritis. From his post, it sounded like he was afraid that his hands were sore because he had arthritis, and I was saying he didn't. Over a long period of time, sure, maybe it could develop into arthritis, but he doesn't have anything serious to worry about medically now.

 

[killa k]

Never really had a problem with soreness from playing smash 64. The most would be a sore thumb which is pretty rare (in my case). Melee is a different story though D:.