Nintendo Wii injuries
WHEN Robin Shepherd bought a Nintendo Wii for the family, he imagined beating his sporty teenage son at virtual tennis would be a forgone conclusion, much like knowing Tim Henman won’t make it through a Wimbledon semi-final. But what he didn’t foresee was a painful shoulder injury and the need to nurse his over-stretched muscles for several days afterwards. Shepherd, who normally stays fit and healthy through regular five mile walks, had underestimated the physical intensity that this latest fitness craze involves.
The Nintendo Wii burst into the electronic games market in 2006 and unlike the traditional games consoles where you need only over exert your thumbs, the Wii is played by waving a wireless, motion-sensitive box through the air to control the movement of bats, racquets and golf clubs. The motion itself imitates the moves you might make whilst engaging in the actual game but the repetitive action is causing all kinds of injuries.
Shepherd, who lives in Plaistow, West Sussex with his wife Jackie and sons Jack, 15 and Finbar, 11, says, “People don’t realise that these games are just as intense as playing the sport itself and proper care should be taken to warm up and cool down afterwards, as you would with any exercise.” As an osteopath with 20 years experience and acting chairman of the General Osteopathic Council, some might say Shepherd ought to have been aware of this fact before injuring himself but he says he thought it was just a computer game. “People play this in their front room, you don’t go anywhere to play it or get changed into sports wear so it doesn’t appear to be exercise. The problem is that once competiveness kicks in there is a tendency to overexert yourself and then injuries occur.”
Shepherd, 50, has seen a steady rise in these kinds of injuries at his practice in Lockswood, West Sussex, although he says it’s impossible to estimate numbers as the game console is too new. Those who seem to suffer the most for their exertions are parents like him, who are determined not to be beaten by their offspring, although their sporting glory days may be long behind them. He thinks one of the reasons that people go for the Bjorn Borg style effort is that the scores come up on the screen whilst you’re playing against each other and you don’t want to be beaten by someone wearing a school uniform who eats pop-tarts for breakfast.
“I see quite a lot of parents who have caused injury to themselves this way. Games such as golf are particularly bad as your swing could very easily cause you an
injury. Golf players can have trouble with the lumbar spinal area due to twisting to take a shot. The rotational movement, coupled with the repetition can cause spinal strains, particularly round the base of the neck. Whereas in real life you get to limber up by walking around between shots, you don't do this at home. Any movement made over and over that is out of the ordinary can cause problems. For example the boxing game where you’re throwing punches over and over, but not impacting against anything, causes shoulder strain or possible problems with the elbows."
Shepherd says he has treated people with back problems, shoulder pain or wrist injuries all connected with trying too hard to hammer the kids at their own game. “When the adults are not as fit as their children, who are more flexible and do more sport then them at school, the thinking might be that the Wii isn’t really sport, but a soft form of exercise,” he says, “as a result we’re seeing a new class of injury that could be prevented by not over doing it and preparing properly.”
But further to tennis elbow and potential spinal injuries, gamers face another health hazard while working out with their Wii. There have been reports of people falling over coffee tables, or smashing into the furniture. Others have broken everything from vases to TVs by letting the handheld controller fly out of their grasp. Nintendo state that provided people follow their safety instructions properly users will fully enjoy the Nintendo Wii, which comes complete with a wrist strap.
Nevertheless, there has been a spate of websites springing up bearing the happy news of hapless folk who have injured themselves or others through vigorous Wii playing. Wii Have a Problem and Wacky Wii Injuries are but two that show videos and snap shots of such injuries. “I think it’s a real problem,” says Shepherd, “my son Jack is over six foot tall, when he went to take an overhead lob in Wii tennis he smashed the light fitting and cut his hand. These incidents are becoming more and more prevalent and the message needs to get across that people must take care while playing these games.”
Sammy Margo, spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists says healthcare professionals need to be aware that technology of this kind is here to stay and it is likely there will be a continued increase in the number of Wii injuries if people do not understand that they need to use it properly. Sammy believes the Nintendo Wii is a good thing and professionals like her are glad people are using it, but how people launch themselves into it is what concerns them. “The Wii can be addictive fun which leads people to over do it by playing it for hours. As long as people warm up first and cool down afterwards they will reduce the likelihood of injuring themselves. Otherwise throwing punches in boxing and whacking a tennis ball in this way is miss-using their bodies and can cause muscle strain.”
However Physio’s need to beware, the recent release of the Nintendo Wii
game, Stars Wars: The Force Unleashed, gives gamers the irresistible opportunity of
turning their controllers into lightsabers. Critics say the game is ‘waggle
heavy’ - insider speak meaning participants will be flailing their arms
about repetitively to utilise all the moves. The Force might be with you, but so is the ice pack to soothe away the aches and pains.