Video Games = Conditioned Response?

Any gamers out there? Always in moderation myself.

I've currently encountered a problem with low back pain increasing during and after playing video games. I've not had this problem before and it's only really happend the last 2 weeks. It feels when I'm playing that my lower back muscles and buttocks tense up and cause pain. This happens during only 10/20 mins of gameplay.

Anyone else on here been through this?

Edit: I should state that I'm of course worrying that I'm actually worried about damaging myself playing as stupid as it sounds.

 

I am a big fan of ThatGameCompany and especially their masterpiece 'Journey', I suggest you play that for a while

Back in the days I was addicted to 'Wolfenstein - Enemy Territory' (still the best FPS ever!!). My lower and upper back didn't like it, but that was because I used gaming as a distraction from emotional issues. And it also created emotions as deep down I was aware that I was addicted and that created guilt... that I also tried to repress by.... more gaming!!. I really had to quit so I did. I sometimes watch gameplay on youtube, which brings back good and bad memories, like an ex-smoker who smells a cigarette.

I say it is all TMS. Work on it like any TMS symptom. The short route is to simply ignore it, the long route is to look closer at what emotions you might avoid or might create while gaming.

 

Oh wow I'm glad I found someone who can relate. You have given me food for thought and can relate to the guilt of maybe being addicted and also play to distract me from real issues.

You know when I posted this it was specifically my lower right back/hip and buttock that was tensing and causing pain. I seen your response on my phone yesterday and considered it before I sat down to play some games (FIFA) and it was no longer that area that was bothering me but my middle back/left side.

I'm sorry you had to quit and maybe I should just just have a month break or so. I've already given up smoking and alcohol due to this condition (which is great) but would hate to quit gaming also.

I'll check the game recommendation out, thanks.

 

Glad it helped you. Take a break and see what happens... Games aren't bad by definition, only when it starts to become a strong distraction from other important stuff in your life.

 

Funny you mentioned this, one of SEP days has you list things that help you prioritize yourself, and of course I listed playing video games, which I've done for over 30 years. While I have not had back pain while playing video games you would be surprised how tense your muscles can get (including back muscles), especially during competitive play, so maybe watch for that? For me personally, gaming usually takes away my TMS pain especially when I'm fully immersed in a game.

 

My form of gaming was RP (role playing). Text only. Years and years of exquisite story telling with some very fine writers. Then the style start changing into either massive posts where you had to leave for 20 minutes to come back to make a post, or the content became more about sex and violence than creating actual stories. It became harder to find good writers, and eventually I drifted away. I miss it terribly at times. I was addicted, most assuredly. And I felt great when I was immersed in crafting these long-running stories which could last years. Pain was diminished during this time. I could type and type and type for hours.

Like any activity ... our emotional response to it seems to dictate whether there is pain or not.

We all need more fun in our lives Games can certainly add a great deal of that!

.... always with Love and Gratitude ^_^

 

I myself grew up just when the first computers started to enter our homes, so I have always been gaming to a certain extent. Only with Enemy Territory I really overdid it.
A couple of weeks ago I resolved pain by playing Journey. Then I slid in the Red Dead Redemption Disc and after an hour or so slowly my hands started to get numb. There is a fine line between playing for relaxation and playing to avoid the real world.

I agree with Chris, your muscles can become really tensed from certain games. Never expected that Lily was a gamer too

 

This provided my first laugh of the morning, which I shared with my husband. We all have many facets to our lives. I surprised a friend not to long ago by revealing that I love muscle cars, since I am such a firm 'truck' person (oh the lovely roar of a Mustang), Vampires, murder ballads (Nick Cave), and dark goth waltzes.

Gaming, particularly RP, is a way to explore those many facets of ourselves. Fantasy is fun, but it also is an outlet. In 99% of the cases, we would not like those fantasies to actually happen. I find it a channel for pent up emotions. A release of pressure. When done creatively, it is activating many aspects of the brain. It is can be like creating a form of art.

But then, we all know that artists are quite insane

.... with Love and Gratitude ^_^

 

Video games are my number 1 trigger, and that makes me so angry sometimes. Recently Im just going in with a F it attitude and playing 2 hours a day. I have so much fear of the gaming=PAIN, but now im like who cares, Ive had it for several years and it hasnt gotten any worse. If I can do all kinds of yard work and other work and not hurt, a stupid game shouldnt damage me lol.

 

For me video games have usually helped me with tms pain however for only the last 2 nights I've gotten symptoms of sciatica and it got to the point where I had to stop and lay down.

I wasnt playing anything too competitive just a racing game offline.

And its weird because both days I had been sitting almost the entire day with no pain whatsoever and when nighttime hit boom sciatica pain which I've never had before and it has been effecting my sleep.

I've also noticed I've been getting tension on the left side of my neck all of my tms pain is on my left side sure enough.

I'm sure if I forget about it it will eventually pass. I know it's just my brain trying to trick me because before I would sometimes just get muscle pain once in a awhile.

 

Happens to me. Started 7 years ago with arm and trapezius pain. quit 2 weeks and got back on gaming (14 hours a day though) and after a week it was back. Now it never goes away anymore and only gets worse while behind pc and even mobile since 5 years or so.

 

Damn this is me exactly!! xD sold my pc finally 2 months ago to quit gaming.

 

Fellow gamer here myself. I probably play more than most people in this forum. Before I had what I guess I would call my trigger event in early June i would game for 8...10....maybe 12 hours a day while also using my phone like crazy. Mostly am a competitive gamer and speedrun enthusiast. I consider myself a prime candidate for RSI stuff.

It's been a rough few months for me and I went to a hand doc and was diagnosed tendonitis and got put on some steroid medicine and even with lowest dose the side effects hit me hard. I refused to go back to the follow up appointment cause I didn't want that medicine again but also cause I'm pretty much broke.

Ive read Healing Back Pain but i haven't felt that urge to really jump into all this. My original hand pain is kinda gone but now it's replaced with:

Super tight tendons on index and middle finger
Weakness in both of my hands
Some tingling/slight numbness

I came here because of another gamer who healed through Sarnos work so I'm happy to find others. Hope your recovery goes well

 

Interestingly enough I recently started to get a little bit of numbness in my left hand but it sometimes switches to my right hand. It literally started happening out of nowhere and I know it's my anxiety causing it just doesn't make sense. This started on tuesday and when I'm gaming I don't notice it

 

This is why it's good to take breaks and get up drink some water, stretch etc. What I don't get or understand though is i know people who literally stare at a computer screen for work as many people do for their jobs and they play video games after.

Not once have i heard them complain about neck, back, shoulder pain, or eye strain, dry eyes etc.

Yes I play alkt of video games in my spare time. Why do I have dry eyes from it when again other people like for example people who stream for a living paly anywhere from 6-12 hours a day or more if they are professional gamers don't?

If tms has taught me anything sitting no matter what position shouldn't cause chronic pain and how come dry eyes wasnt more of a thing until people have got it from

Lasik or from all of out computer screens when I'm the only person I know that has it because I've always worried about my eye health since I was in grade 9 or so when I started needing glasses for school.


I know eye strain is very much real and can't really be avoided but I think my dry eyes is from stress or something because at the tir my eye doctor couldn't find a pshyical reason other then.

Oh you use do have alot of screen time a day.

Yeah I average about 5 hours or so.

Apprently thats alot of again my dad comes home from work and he's watching TV on his phone from the time he gets home til bedtime.

I'm willing to bet most people are on some form of a screen longer then the reccomend 2 hour a day limit (working on a screen not included because the reality us we all gotta make our way some how.

 

Definitely TMS! My brother used to make me play Xbox with him and I recall having hand pain or a sore back when I was stressed out. Just stress. Similar to carpal tunnel and people who use computers often - it’s not structural.