Lâm Du Hải was a professional League of Legends player. He is most known for his prolific mid-lane talents with Cloud9 and Golden Guardians. Under the moniker “Hai”, he made a name for himself early in his career as one of the best shot-callers in North America, and a key to Cloud9’s success. Hai won two LCS championships with C9 and attended Worlds three times.
Wrist Injury Causes Uncertainty
Hai managed a painful and persistent wrist injury alongside his success. During his time with Cloud9 in 2015, it became apparent that his injury prevented him from training enough to compete at a high level. He publicly stated:
“My wrist injury is something that I simply cannot ignore. It limits my ability to play as much as I need to and my ability to improve. I cannot keep up with the amount of Solo Queue games my teammates play and it’s not fair to them. At best, my wrist injury would have only allowed me to play for another split and that wasn’t even certain.”
Possible Types of Wrist Injuries
The medical details of Hai’s injury aren’t publicly available, but his time with Cloud9, and later with Golden Guardians, showcase a variety of wrist braces. They suggest a long-standing form of wrist injury. Gamer’s wrist and carpal tunnel are both common and preventable injuries that competitive gamers develop through poor posture and improper wrist alignment when gaming.
It’s impossible to perceive the nature of Hai’s injury in terms of how much it impacted his career. Whether he’d have stuck with a struggling C9 instead of leaving when he did isn’t something anyone can know. What is clear is that the injury was a terrible burden on a career that was as prolific as it was long.
A Compelling Career Story
Hai’s shot-calling was known among his peers as arguably the best in North America. Hai’s final LCS showing – in 2018 with Golden Guardians – made it clear that he was still valued for his leadership qualities and sure decision-making, despite not having the mechanical depth that he once boasted. This loss of mechanical depth is yet another question mark permanently stamped on his injury.
After retirement from professional play, Hai contributed to the 2019 LCS analyst desk in between professional matches. He later moved on to starting his own amateur League team “Radiance.” The team, at least for the time being, has frozen operations. The career of Hai isn’t a sorry one. It’s one with incredible displays of skill, longstanding consistency, and the ability to pull otherwise mediocre teams into positions to challenge for titles and international tournament success. All of that said, his career is marred with an asterisk next to his name. The asterisk tells the LCS faithful they aren’t ever going to be sure they got his full potential due to his wrist injury, despite being one of the best North American players of all time.
For spectators, esports may seem like a sedentary activity, but professional gamers actually perform hundreds of micromovements every minute. These include rapid keystrokes and mouse clicks that can strain the wrist, fingers, lower arms, neck, and back. Over time, this constant physical load may lead to numerous problems such as muscle weakness, nerve compression, lower back pain, and tendinopathy—the latter of which refers to damaged tendon tissue [1-3].
Due to the nature of esports, professional gamers who don’t take extra precautions may gradually begin to suffer from lingering injuries that make it difficult to enjoy their career due to missed matches. If the pain and discomfort persists, worsens over time, or requires surgery, an avid gamer may even face early retirement.
Esports engage fine motor skills that can gradually and unsuspectingly affect the musculoskeletal system—causing injuries an esports professional is often unaware of until it becomes chronic or burdensome [2, 3]. Taking preventative measures such as using a brace (e.g., wrist brace) before or after a long gaming session can help prevent injuries or promote recovery if an unexpected injury occurs [1, 4-6].
Braces Offer Added Support
A wrist brace —also called a wrist-hand orthosis—can help minimize the risk of injury by reducing pressure on the median nerve in the wrist and preventing awkward wrist movements. The median nerve extends from the forearm through a narrow passage in the wrist called the carpal tunnel and continues into the hand. Compression of the median nerve is linked to carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a common issue for professional gamers [3].
A wrist brace also helps relieve pain and supports recovery by immobilizing the wrist, while allowing the thumb and fingers to move in an unobstructed manner. More specifically, a brace holds the wrist in a straight position—preventing pain that may develop when bending the wrist squeezes the median nerve. Using a brace after a gaming session, as well as during sleep, further improves symptoms of carpal tunnel and other repetitive strain injuries (RSI) linked to esports by keeping excess pressure off of the median nerve [3, 4].
In addition to hand or wrist injuries, avid gamers often report experiencing neck as well as upper and lower back pain due to poor posture while sitting during long sessions [5]. Similar to a wrist brace, a back brace can help relieve pressure on the spine for gamers suffering from mild to moderate back pain. Back braces—also known as lumbar orthoses—afford additional benefits that include [6]:
Accelerating recovery by stabilizing or immobilizing the back
Offering spinal support for weakened spinal discs
Promoting more controlled back movement
Helping to correct existing deformities
Minimizing the progression of spinal bone or muscle damage
Furthermore, research shows that when back braces are used for short periods of time, they target common back issues (e.g., pain, stiffness, spasms) and evenly distribute weight to lower the risk of future back injuries [6].
Overall, braces offer exceptional support for esports professionals. Using braces regularly is a beneficial preventative measure that can help gamers participate in gaming leagues and tournaments for years to come.
Andres BM, et al. Treatment of Tendinopathy: What Works, What Does Not, and What is on the Horizon. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2008;466(7):1539-1554.
Helliwell PS, Taylor WJ. Repetitive strain injury. Postgrad Med J. 2004;80(946):438-43.
van Tulder M, Malmivaara A, Koes B. Repetitive strain injury. Lancet. 2007; 369(9575):1815-22.
Bhanderi DJ, et al. Computer Use and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Case-control Study. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2017;21(3):109-114.
Fernandez-de-Las-Penas C, Alonso-Blanco C, Cuadrado ML, Pareja JA. Forward head posture and neck mobility in chronic tension-type headache: A blinded, controlled study. Cephalalgia. 2006;26(3):314-319.
Schott C, Zirke S, et al. Effectiveness of lumbar orthoses in low back pain: Review of the literature and our results. Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2018;10(4): 7791.
Most avid gamers or eSports competitors spend up to 14 hours a day, six days a week using devices that require rapid, precise hand movements. This means that the average gamer or eSports professional may at one time or another experience a repetitive stress injury. This type of injury refers to pain in the muscles, tendons, or nerves of a joint that has become strained due to repetitive movements [1]. The hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders, elbows, and neck are most commonly affected by repetitive stress injuries. People may experience symptoms like pain, swelling, inflammation, muscle strain, or tissue damage. This kind of overuse injury typically affects young adults and is more common in women than men [2]. PC gamers tend to experience frequent problems in their wrists, while console gamers often develop discomfort in their thumbs.
Repetitive stress injuries that are especially common among gaming professionals include [1-4]:
Gamer’s thumb (De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis) – This overuse injury develops when tendons in the wrist and lower region of the thumb become inflamed.
Trigger Finger – A condition where one finger becomes stuck in a bent position and abruptly snaps back into a straightened position due to an inflamed tendon in the affected finger.
Tendonitis of the wrist – Pain that develops in the wrist when tendons become inflamed due to overuse.
Tennis elbow – Also known as mouse elbow or lateral epicondylosis, tennis elbow is an injury that often affects PC gamers. It develops as a result of repeatedly clicking a mouse. This repetitive action irritates muscles that extend from the fingers to the wrists, forearms, and elbow.
Carpal tunnel syndrome – An overuse injury caused by abnormal pressure placed on the main nerve in the wrist after repeatedly performing the same movement.
Cubital tunnel syndrome – A condition that develops when excess pressure on nerves in the elbow cause pain in the fingers, wrist, and forearm.
The most common signs of a repetitive stress injury include pain, burning or tingling, and numbness in the affected area. Muscle weakness, stiffness, decreased mobility, and cramping may develop as well. Gamers may subsequently struggle to maintain peak performance or have to discontinue gaming for certain periods of time due to these types of symptoms. These types of complications are particularly problematic for those who engage in gaming professionally.
A minor repetitive stress injury may be treated by using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or aspirin, frequently resting the joint by taking gaming breaks, or wearing a brace [5]. However, individuals may develop long-term complications if a prolonged injury is not properly treated. More specifically, if conventional methods (e.g., NSAIDs, rest, braces) are ineffective or the injury becomes recurrent, this indicates that it’s time to speak with a healthcare professional who can discuss a beneficial approach that supports the healing process. Techniques that may help prevent this type of injury from occurring in the future can also be discussed with a specialist, like a physical therapist.
The main goal of any form of treatment is to promote complete healing and prevent this type of injury from happening again. Useful preventive strategies that are quite effective include placing the hands and wrists in neutral positions, taking frequent breaks, performing exercises that stretch and strengthen muscles, and wearing a brace if long hours of gaming are anticipated [1-5]. Overall, prevention is the best way to stay in the game.
References
Helliwell PS, Taylor WJ. Repetitive strain injury. Postgrad Med J. 2004;80(946):438-43.
Breslin CF, et al. The demographic and contextual correlates of work-related repetitive strain injuries among Canadian men and women. Am J Ind Med. 2013;56(10):1180-9.
It may sound funny, but “dead butt” syndrome is no joke. If lots of time sitting makes you feel numbness, soreness, pain, or stiffness, you may be experiencing dead butt syndrome.
What is “dead butt” syndrome?
Dead butt syndrome, or gluteus medius tendinopathy, is usually caused by frequent sitting. It happens when your glute muscles ‘forget’ their main function and fail to keep your body in alignment. In other words, sitting for long periods of time without using your glutes can hinder your nervous system’s ability to control them.
Dead butt syndrome (DBS) can cause a range of postural imbalances, which is why it often goes hand in hand with lower cross syndrome, a muscle imbalance marked by visible anterior pelvic tilt.
These two conditions are different, but they both tend to stem from the same problem: frequent sitting and inactivity. While dead butt syndrome is caused by weak, inactive glute muscles, lower cross syndrome is caused by a weak, inactive core.
Now let’s talk about symptoms to watch out for, plus how to prevent or recover from these conditions.
DBS potential symptoms
The most common symptoms of dead butt syndrome are numbness or soreness in your glutes. Other symptoms include:
Pain (including knee pain)
Nerve pain (similar to sciatica)
Reduced flexibility
Gait problems
Weakness
Stiffness
Since sitting can lead to other problems—including edema (swelling) and impaired circulation—it might be worth revisiting your daily routine. Thankfully, dead butt syndrome can be reversed simply and easily. How? By activating your glutes.
(Photo by ELLA DON on Unsplash)
4 Easy Ways to Activate Your Glutes
Glute bridge
Glute bridges help strengthen your glutes and increase your mind-body connection. Here’s how to do them.
Lie flat on the ground on your back.
Draw your knees up and bend them while keeping your feet flat on the ground.
Here’s the important part: Squeeze your glutes and push upwards until your back/butt have lifted off the floor.
Keep your glutes engaged and try not to rely on your leg muscles too much.
You can do sets of 10-20 glute bridges as needed. They also make a pretty great quad stretch.
Glute bridge
Glute bridges help strengthen your glutes and increase your mind-body connection. Here’s how to do them.
Lie flat on the ground on your back.
Draw your knees up and bend them while keeping your feet flat on the ground.
Here’s the important part: Squeeze your glutes and push upwards until your back/butt have lifted off the floor.
Keep your glutes engaged and try not to rely on your leg muscles too much.
You can do sets of 10-20 glute bridges as needed. They also make a pretty great quad stretch.
Crab walk
To make the crab walk more effective, you can add a resistance band to the mix. Here’s how you do this exercise, with or without a band.
Begin by standing in a high squat with your feet hip-width apart. Take a step towards the side, then follow with your other foot.
Now go the other direction. Take a step to the other side, following with the other foot.
Keep your awareness on your glute muscles as you move.
Side step + squat
This exercise targets the gluteus medius directly.
Stand up and place your feet about as wide as your hips. Bend your knees enough to get into a deep squat.
As you come out of the squat, press down hard with one foot and take some weight off the other, almost like you’re doing a cossack squat.
On your next squat, reverse the process, and press down hard with the other foot.
See if you can do 20 reps. If you can, you’re doing great!
Clam
This exercise also does a great job of targeting the gluteus medius. Plus, it helps with hip stabilization.
Lie down on the floor on your left side. Your hips should be touching the floor.
Raise your upper body up with your left forearm. Your knees should be bent in front of you and touching each other.
Raise your top leg (your right leg) as high into the air as you can. You should really feel it in your glutes and hip flexors.
Do 10 reps of raising and lowering your right leg, then switch to the other side. If 10 reps are too easy, add a resistance band.
How to Recover From Lower Cross Syndrome
First, if you want to reduce dead butt/lower cross syndrome, try sitting less. There’s nothing like getting to the root of the problem. Sitting less is as easy as installing a standing desk. Or, just getting up and stretching from time to time.
“Sitting too long can restrict the blood flow, causing gluteal amnesia, which can lead to hip pain, lower backache, and problems with your ankles. The glutes will fail to fire properly even when performing exercises targeting the glutes,” fitness trainer Donovan Green says.
According to physical therapist Kelly Starrett, the reason why sitting less works is simple. Your glutes aren’t designed to bear weight for hours on end. And—if you must sit—variety is the spice of life. Try sitting on an exercise ball from time to time, or switching up your chair.
Natural Cures for Dead Butt and More
Finally, try CBD-infused topicals! While we don’t advocate using CBD products as a band-aid solution, it’s a great way to get fast-acting pain relief with a minimum of negatives. Pair a CBD topical with GAMER RLSE Half Moon for a soothing glute massage.
If you game or type at a computer, you’ve probably heard of carpal tunnel syndrome. But, what is it … exactly? Also referred to as median nerve compression, carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition characterized by tingling, weakness, or numbness in the wrist and hand [1]. It’s one of the most common injuries among avid gamers and eSports professionals, especially those who play computer video games [2, 3].
Repeatedly gripping a mouse or controller for console or computer games typically causes this type of injury.
What’s a Carpal Tunnel?
There are a number of structures in the hand that are used during repetitive gaming movements. These include the carpal tunnel, carpal bones, median nerve, and more. [3]
The wrist contains rows of carpal bones that surround a small passage called the carpal tunnel. The tunnel is enclosed on the palm side of the wrist by a band of tough tissue known as the transverse carpal ligament. The median nerve runs through the carpal tunnel. This nerve consists of fibers that transfer nerve signals between the spinal cord and the hand at the wrist joint. The tendons in the wrist region allow your fingers to open and close so they can grip a game controller or other objects.
Spot the Signs
For gamers and eSports enthusiasts, compression of the median nerve and excess pressure on the tendons due to overuse can lead to pain, weakness, tingling, numbness or burning sensations in the hand that make it hard to play. In other words, repeatedly gripping a mouse or controller for console or computer games typically causes this type of injury. Women are more likely than men to develop this syndrome because their carpal tunnel passage is narrower—this increases the risk of median nerve compression [4]. Previous hand injuries, arthritis, diabetes, fluid retention and other conditions can also make gamers more susceptible [5].
Common signs of carpal tunnel syndrome include
Overall weakness in your arm
Numbness in your hand or wrist
Pain that extends toward your elbow
Tingling sensation (pins-and-needles) in your hand
Numbness in your thumb or first 3 fingers while gaming (excluding the pinky)
Weakness that makes it hard to grip or causes you to drop items (e.g., mouse, controller)
Treatment
Over-the-counter pain relievers or creams may provide temporary relief, but they won’t target nerve damage or help you regain your strength. Physical therapy may also help moderate to serious cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. A physical therapist can assess arm strength and the extent of the damage, determine the best treatment option, and suggest how to improve your gaming and eSports setup [1]. A therapist can also work on breaking down scar tissue while stretching and strengthening muscles to increase your range of motion. This will help you heal by reducing the compression of your median nerve and tendons.
Here are a few more simple practices that will help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome or further injury.
Take a break: Take gaming breaks and use the time to do stretching exercises.
Wear a splint: Wear a hand or wrist splint to stabilize your hand and decrease the pressure placed on it while you’re playing.
Set yourself up to succeed: Adjust your gaming setup so you can maintain proper hand positioning and reduce pain.
It’s all in the Wrist!
Don’t let carpal tunnel syndrome hurt your game. Play your best and keep your wrist, hands, and arms healthy with a little help from these therapeutic aids.
References
Bland JDP. Clinical Review Carpal tunnel syndrome. BMJ. 2007;335(7615):343-346.
Bhanderi DJ, et al. Computer Use and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Case-control Study. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2017;21(3):109-114.
Genova A, et al. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Review of Literature. Cureus. 2020 Mar; 12(3): e7333.
Burton C, Chesterton LS, Davenport G. Diagnosing and managing carpal tunnel syndrome in primary care. Br J Gen Pract. 2014;64(622):262-3.
MacDermid JC, Wessel J. Clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome: a systematic review. J Hand Ther. 2004;17(2):309-19.
Whether you’re a professional gamer or simply a passionate player, you’ve probably experienced back pain. But did you know gaming could be the cause? Gamers who spend long hours sitting in an unnatural position while they play often develop back pain. If not properly treated, this can lead to long-term health issues [2]. But there’s good news! We’ve got scientific strategies and information that will help prevent back trouble. So you can play your favorite games pain-free!
Why Gaming Can Be a Pain
Gamers tend to slouch and sink down into their seats causing their lower back to curve. This poor posture leads to an uneven distribution of weight around the spine, lower back and hips. It also compresses vertebrae in the spine. This compression is often linked to pain and inflammation. Remaining in one static position for hours can even harden collagen in the ligaments and tendons in the back [3]. This can make your spine less flexible, strain your back, hip, and glute muscles, plus cause discomfort in different parts of your body—including your legs.
And the more you game, the more you may experience pain. Research shows that the average amount of time that gamers spend in front of their computers or consoles is about 13 hours per week—and that keeps increasing [4]. When you game this long, nerves in the lower back that extend through the legs are under constant pressure. These inflamed nerves can lead to pain and swelling in the legs. Prolonged gaming even increases the risk of blood clots in the legs, which is a dangerous condition that needs to be addressed immediately [4].
Prevent Pain With Good Posture
Now you know why good posture while gaming is a must. Luckily, holistic strategies like lifestyle changes, posture, and ergonomic equipment can help. Here are some smart prevention strategies.
Set a timer so you take regular gaming breaks and stretch tired muscles
Take daily walks or add other regular activities to your routine
Switch up your gaming days and the times you game
Sit straight—back and chest upright, shoulders pressed firmly against the back of your seat
Maintain good posture with ergonomic cushions or chairs
Back in the Game!
These changes may seem simple, but they’ll help you avoid pain so you can get back in the game, and stay there.
References
International Association of Gaming Regulators [IAGR]. Could esports feature at the 2024 Olympics? IAGR, 2016. Retrieved from https://www.iagr.org/industry-news/could-esports-feature-2024-olympics
Hakala PT, et al. Frequent computer-related activities increase the risk of neck–shoulder and low back pain in adolescents. EUPH. 2006;16(5);536-541.
Gordon R, Bloxham S. A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain. Healthcare (Basel). 2016;4(2):22.
Chang HC, et al. Extensive deep vein thrombosis following prolonged gaming (‘gamer’s thrombosis’): a case report. J Med Case Rep. 2013;7:235.
