Online gaming is a billion dollar business. Millions of people spend hours playing these games each day. There are various reasons – they may be seeking an adrenaline rush, they may be seeking to complete portions of the game, they may be using it as an escape from reality. While many of those players can turn the games off when they want, others escalate into an unhealthy obsession. They play the game well beyond what would be deemed as normal usage and fall into an addictive pattern.
This can cause a lot of issues in their personal lives. They may shun relationships and make the game their world. They can have eye problems from staring at a screen … and the games can have a toll on their bodies. Gamers can have problems with their hands, necks, wrists … and their backs.
The last one can make life really uncomfortable – a bad lower back can make even the simple act of walking a painful one. But how does an online gaming addiction lead to a bad back? Read on to learn more.
Posture
This is one of the main things linking the two. When you are playing an online game, whether on your phone, your tablet, or your computer, you may have a tendency to lean forward while you play.
While it may not affect you immediately, all of that time leaning forward will put stress on your lower back. That, in turn, will cause you to have back pain. It will be difficult to focus on anything, including online gaming, with a bad back – no matter how much you try to ignore it when you play.
Stretching
There are some exercises you can do in between loading screens or if you are at an idle point in the game. Get up from the chair and slowly bend and stretch forward and back. This will keep your muscles from tightening up and causing that back pain. There are plenty of videos online that can show you what to do. But if you may need medical advice or a physical therapist, you can find one near you through this site.
Using The Proper Gaming Equipment
Don’t use chairs that can contribute to the discomfort. Invest in an ergonomic chair that will help keep you seated comfortably while playing and can help you maintain a good posture. They can have things like back pillows, which will support your lower back and keep your spine in a good alignment. There are even ones that have built-in massage. If you are going to be gaming, at least be using something that will be designed to prevent certain issues while you are online gaming. They are not 100% preventative, but they give you a better chance of having a pain-free experience as far as your back goes.
Watching Your Posture
As mentioned before, your posture plays a big part in causing lower back pain. This does not only affect gamers, though. People who sit and slouch while writing or coding, among other jobs that center around sitting at a desk all day on a computer. It is important to think about your posture while you are playing. Having good habits while sitting can lessen the chances of lower back issues.
Sit up straight while you are playing. Pretend there is a rod in your spine and it is making you sit like that. Keep your shoulders even with your ears – slouching them forward will cause them to pull on other muscles and then contribute to your woes. Keep your monitor at eye level – that way, you won’t be looking up or down while you are playing and possibly causing issues with your neck. Doing this will allow you to sit for longer and not worry about putting any undue stress on your body.
One of the big reasons why this is happening so frequently is that people are not active as they have been in the past. They sit around a lot more and that leads to less muscle tone and muscle strength. So their bodies are not prepared to take on the stresses that poor sitting posture puts on it. Unless there is a huge change in how they work and game (perhaps the interactivity of VR could make for a less sedentary experience), this looks to be a long-term issue.
If you do the above, you could improve your chances of lessening your back pain. Your online gaming addiction is a separate issue. That might even require some counseling. Online gaming is something that should be enjoyed in moderation .. but you should give your real life more precedence.
