Dr Phil Kieran: Are computer games the cause of my son's hand and wrist pain?

There are benefits to gaming, however, like with most things, too much can definitely be a bad thing. Picture: iStock 

My teenage son is a committed gamer and often plays for hours over the weekend with his friends. He has recently started complaining about pain in his wrists and right hand, and his grip strength has reduced. It sounds like repetitive strain injury to me. Other than taking a break from his computer — I know he’d refuse — what would you suggest?

Computer games often get a bad rap, but they aren’t a problem in themselves. I’m far more interested in the behaviours surrounding them and how they can affect a person’s health.

There are benefits to gaming: It can improve working memory, hand-eye co-ordination, and problem-solving, and, when played with friends or co-operatively, it is a pro-social experience. 

However, like with most things, too much can definitely be a bad thing. Similar to watching a lot of television, it has all the drawbacks of extended screen exposure, such as poor sleep, reduced time for physical activity, and all the damage of a sedentary lifestyle. 

The posture associated with gaming can also be an issue. Most professional gamers are aware that to perform at their best, they need to keep their body in good physical shape.

If your son is experiencing wrist problems, he should address them now before lasting damage occurs.

As a first step, I would recommend that he take a complete break from gaming. Although wrist pain can have many causes, and gaming may not be the source, it is the first variable we need to rule out. 

Just like with children with knee pain who play a lot of football or basketball, we initially recommend resting the joint and seeing how it recovers.

I appreciate that he may not be keen on this, but I would encourage him to look at the longer-term picture. 

There are top-level sports professionals in almost every competitive field whose careers have been ended early or severely hampered by not looking after their bodies. (Try googling the title of the computer game he enjoys most, adding the words ‘professional wrist injury’. You will likely come up with a relevant cautionary tale and he will be able to relate to it.)

A balanced lifestyle with enough exercise is essential for everyone, and I encourage people to see it as part of improving whatever else they are working towards, not as a distraction from practice.

This is something I talk extensively with Leaving Cert students about, as the academic benefits of keeping up exercise are well established.

What can be difficult in the case of gaming, particularly, is to approach the conversation in a non-judgemental way.

It is easy for both of you to get your backs up and become entrenched in your positions if you feel the other person is being unreasonable. 

I suspect that if you were to tackle the problem by saying gaming is stupid and pointless, the rest of the conversation would be completely unproductive. Approaching this constructively by highlighting the need for balanced physical activity is the way to go.

If you have a question for Dr Phil Kieran, please send it to [e-mail]