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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Tendonitis

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Total Posts
21
Hamdium
12 posts
Joined November 2013
Topic Starter
Hamdium
Hi, let me introduce myself:
I am Hamdium, a 21 year old engineer student.
Osu! is my biggest hobby, I just love this game.

I like videogames in general, and as such, I want my hands and eyes to have a long, healthy life. (I also like to eat healthy, do exercise, and I *try* to sleep enough).
I never wen't competitive or anything, it's just a hobby I love.
I enjoy big challenges, and sometimes I practice a lot, but everytime I felt uncomfortable, I'd just stop playing and rest.

I've always feared RSI, gamers thumb, carpal tunnel syndrome and other illness that mean the end of a gamer's life.

But yesternight, I had a carpal tunnel syndrome attack. It didn't got better after sleep, and everytime I had to write at school, the pain would appear.
My school's nurse diagnosed me carpal tunnel syndrome...
She told me no excercise could heal me or prevent the advance of it, that stretches and excercises only prevent RSI or other syndromes, but they didn't "healed" carpal tunnel syndrome.

I can't express how sad I feel right now, and I haven't seen many threads about this topic, so I would like to see if someone here could help me.
Does carpal tunnel syndrome means I won't ever be able to become a top player?


Edit: Of course I plan to see a doctor, and I won't play anything until I have his word, but I just wanted to know if carpal tunnel syndrome means the death of a gamer's hobby, or if you can overcome it after the respective treatment/precautions and still aspire to be good.

09/08/14 Update: It's tendonitis due to hand overuse. Thankfully I will be able to recover completely.
Last edited by Hamdium , edited 5 times in total.
[ HDthunder ]
107 posts
Joined November 2013
[ HDthunder ]
maybe not i know someone on osu! with carpal tunnel
and he's 10k ranks higher than me.
dkun
osu! Alumni
4,486 posts
Joined August 2009
dkun
t/127544

moved to the proper section
Gumpy
2,418 posts
Joined June 2014
Gumpy
Lots of practice.
Pettanko
246 posts
Joined September 2012
Pettanko
the fact that you have an injury and still want to play the game goes to show how little you care for your health
El Koko
174 posts
Joined February 2013
El Koko
You really should get another doctor's appointment and see if you can get a treatment for yor wound instead of just asking in the forums. Really. It's about your health, not about the game.
Hamdium
12 posts
Joined November 2013
Topic Starter
Hamdium

Pettanko wrote:

the fact that you have an injury and still want to play the game goes to show how little you care for your health
That's just being rude for the sake of being rude.

Of course I care for my health, and I already stated in the original post that I've always stopped playing every time I felt anything weird.
I will go see a doctor as soon as I can, and meanwhile I won't play anything at all.

I only wanted to hear some experiences of players here, as this subject isn't really unheard of (cookiezi had eye problems, thelewa quit for hand injury).
Hamdium
12 posts
Joined November 2013
Topic Starter
Hamdium

El Koko wrote:

You really should get another doctor's appointment and see if you can get a treatment for yor wound instead of just asking in the forums. Really. It's about your health, not about the game.
Thanks, that's what I will do.

I just wanted to know if this means that gaming will never be the same for me.
I read somewhere that Aqo https://osu.ppy.sh/u/aqo also had median nerve pain or something.

But I've also read comments like "RSI is the death of any hopes of proffesional gaming" etc.
El Koko
174 posts
Joined February 2013
El Koko
I don't think so? You mentioned lewa who destroyed his hand and had to stop playing for 3 months, he's back on track again 1x100 FC'ing airman like it's nothing. His injury was tenoshitsomething.

It really is all about treating your wound and taking care of yourself and you should be fine.
Pettanko
246 posts
Joined September 2012
Pettanko

Hamdium wrote:

Pettanko wrote:

the fact that you have an injury and still want to play the game goes to show how little you care for your health
That's just being rude for the sake of being rude.

Of course I care for my health, and I already stated in the original post that I've always stopped playing every time I felt anything weird.
I will go see a doctor as soon as I can, and meanwhile I won't play anything at all.

I only wanted to hear some experiences of players here, as this subject isn't really unheard of (cookiezi had eye problems, thelewa quit for hand injury).
How is that being rude? If you already know that something in your hand is wrong then it's common sense that you should avoid putting stress on that hand as much as possible until you get diagnosed by a professional and they tell you that it's okay to do so. Continuing to play and stopping "everytime I felt anything weird" means that even more damage has already been done.

The best course of action is like what you wrote, go seek medical help and stop playing immediately.
Hamdium
12 posts
Joined November 2013
Topic Starter
Hamdium

Pettanko wrote:

How is that being rude? If you already know that something in your hand is wrong then it's common sense that you should avoid putting stress on that hand as much as possible until you get diagnosed by a professional and they tell you that it's okay to do so. Continuing to play and stopping "everytime I felt anything weird" means that even more damage has already been done.

The best course of action is like what you wrote, go seek medical help and stop playing immediately.
The weird feelings were just muscular pains or tiredness, just like the pain from lifting or doing exercise. This was actually my first carpal tunnel attack, it was like nothing else I had felt before.
And sure, you just said what you thought, no intention to offend. I am just very sensible right now.




El Koko wrote:

I don't think so? You mentioned lewa who destroyed his hand and had to stop playing for 3 months, he's back on track again 1x100 FC'ing airman like it's nothing. His injury was tenoshitsomething.

It really is all about treating your wound and taking care of yourself and you should be fine.
Wow, I didn't knew he was already back on the tracks.
http://www.twitch.tv/hoarseborn/b/555527185

Thank you very much, this is very uplifting!




After I get word of my doctor and I recover, I will update the original post or make another thread explaining how to prevent this shit, apparently it was caused by bad positioning or being too tense.
No-one should ever have these syndromes.
f i z i k
154 posts
Joined January 2013
f i z i k
also i think azer has a light case of rsi thats why he doesnt play fast maps anymore,but I might be mistaken
just take a break and do your daily stretches and stuff,and then care about not overplaying and youll probably be good. define top player? with rsi youll never get the rank 1 spot,but im sure you can still get top 100 lol
Zare
1,512 posts
Joined March 2012
Zare

Hamdium wrote:

Of course I care for my health, and I already stated in the original post that I've always stopped playing every time I felt anything weird
Meanwhile



what is pain
E a g l e
45 posts
Joined February 2013
E a g l e
Im not sure if this is RSI but I myself about 6 months ago started feeling numbness and pain in my streaming hand. However I just took it slow and played less and it did disappear after a week or so. Of course it seems a lot worse for you, and you should seek medical attention if it gets worse. Just dont stress your wrist/fingers.
Hamdium
12 posts
Joined November 2013
Topic Starter
Hamdium

Zare wrote:

Hamdium wrote:

Of course I care for my health, and I already stated in the original post that I've always stopped playing every time I felt anything weird
Meanwhile



what is pain
Well...
I practiced a lot, maybe too much.
This is why you *must* take rests frequently, whether you "feel bad" or not.
It's very hard to feel bad doing something you really enjoy :P
GoldenWolf
2,983 posts
Joined May 2012
GoldenWolf
Yo

As someone who has CTS, here's the best way not to make it worse:

Since February 2013.


More seriously though, yes you can become good, even "pro" with CTS, but that implies a very very long and slow approach to the game and improvements. Strengthening your wrist slowly but surely, being very cautious about any weird/unsual feeling, playing much less (thus more efficient too, if you want to become good before you grow white hair), etc. aka putting little stress on your wrist at most, playing for an hour at once MAX and taking breaks much more often (with complete days-off).

The main goal is to strengthen your wrist enough so the stuff that would put pressure on wrist doesn't anymore, it's also about finding a technique that allow you to play while stressing as less as possible your wrist.

Yeah I kinda repeat myself over, but I can't stress it enough how it's important to take lightly and slowly.
Hamdium
12 posts
Joined November 2013
Topic Starter
Hamdium

GoldenWolf wrote:

Yo

As someone who has CTS, here's the best way not to make it worse:

Since February 2013.


More seriously though, yes you can become good, even "pro" with CTS, but that implies a very very long and slow approach to the game and improvements. Strengthening your wrist slowly but surely, being very cautious about any weird/unsual feeling, playing much less (thus more efficient too, if you want to become good before you grow white hair), etc. aka putting little stress on your wrist at most, playing for an hour at once MAX and taking breaks much more often (with complete days-off).

The main goal is to strengthen your wrist enough so the stuff that would put pressure on wrist doesn't anymore, it's also about finding a technique that allow you to play while stressing as less as possible your wrist.

Yeah I kinda repeat myself over, but I can't stress it enough how it's important to take lightly and slowly.
Thanks a lot. I really appreciate all this.
Also, can you tell me how did you received treatment?

I think I'm still on the early stages, but from what I've seen there is no "cure" once you have CTS, aside from operation, which is really scary and may not leave you as you were before.
I will see a doctor on Saturday, and he will (hopefully) clear all my questions, but until then I'd like to know a bit more about this.
GoldenWolf
2,983 posts
Joined May 2012
GoldenWolf
I had some anti-inflammatory, and stopped playing for 2 weeks flat

I wasn't stupid enough to keep playing after feeling the pain and all, so it didn't get worse and my hand is pretty much back to normal by now (not totally though, and probably never will, but it's not so bad on the everyday life)
Hamdium
12 posts
Joined November 2013
Topic Starter
Hamdium
Fortunately for me, it's not that bad.

Today the doctor diagnosed me tendinitis on the "flexor digitorum profundus muscle" due to overuse.
I'll have to rest my hand and use a splint for 21 days, have some heat things applied and anti-inflamatory applied for 10 days, and dafloxen & ranisen for 5 & 10 days.

I'll have a second chance.
I had a 32 day break from any computer activity, and in just 3 days I "goot back to my level" at osu!
That was very very stupid. Just like at lifting, one must return gradually.



Remember to always take rests frequently, take it lightly and not overplay.
El Koko
174 posts
Joined February 2013
El Koko

Hamdium wrote:

I had a 32 day break from any computer activity, and in just 3 days I "goot back to my level" at osu!
That was very very stupid. Just like at lifting, one must return gradually.
That is how lewa destroyed his hand

Anyway, good to hear it's not that bad and that you got a treatment already. Must be rough not being able to play osu for another month. At least now you know what *not* to do when you get back to playing :)

There's this tip that sometimes comes up when osu! starts telling you to take frequent breaks. People should really take it more seriously.
Hamdium
12 posts
Joined November 2013
Topic Starter
Hamdium
Thanks for the good will :3
It really helped because I felt pretty bad at one point.

In case you are wondering, it was my right hand, and my parents just gifted me a new mouse a little after coming back, so I also got used to it as fast as I could.
Now my dad hates videogames. I can't blame him lol


I hope my experience helps prevent Osu! overdose on more people.
Stretches, excercises, occasional resting good positioning, ergonomics and proper sleep don't make your tendons/articulations indestructible. It is mandatory to not overplay. Everyone has a different threshold, and it can increase over time, but don't be surprised if you have artritis or destroyed your tendons after playing for 7 hours a day everyday.
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