Esports Injuries Are Significant
As professional gamers start to face possible career-ending injuries because of the physical and mental intensity expended in both scrimmages and competitions, orthopedic and sports medicine doctors are seeing the growing need for specialized care for these athletes.
These athletes have their own unique injury profile that is important to understand.
Professional gamers perform approximately 500 to 600 actions per minute both during competitions and training which can put a lot of pressure on their hands, wrist and arms. If they use a controller while they play, they are also more prone to “gamer’s thumb,” an overuse condition also known as de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis which is the inflammation of the tendons that move the thumb.
Then there is the sedentary nature of the sport. Sitting for prolonged periods of time can lead to poor posture, obesity, and both neck and back pain.
…and Growing Rapidly
As more and more high intensity gamers present themselves to orthopedic clinics for treatment, physicians are simultaneously looking for esports injury risk profiles in order to drive prevention and treatment. Like all athletes, a gamer’s career can be cut short if he or she doesn’t properly take care of him or herself.
A study led by the German Sports University located in Cologne, Germany, found that the pressures esports athletes are under are not so different from traditional athlete pressures. All athletes rely on quick reflexes, a strong stamina and a strategic mind. The researchers found that the typical gaming athlete can only play until their mid-20s because of slower reflexes.
Another study published in the British Medical Journal in 2019 found that overuse injuries were just as much a concern among esport athletes as traditional athletes, and that there is not enough attention on physical exercise.
To better understand the needs of esports athletes, many medical institutions are opening esports medicine centers. The New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine now has a Center for eSports Medicine and Ohio State University recently launched an esport program that allows students to study everything from esports management, design and programming to health and rehabilitation.
Orlando Health’s recent partnership with Magic Gaming, Orlando Magic’s professional esports team, also highlights the need for understanding the gamer’s injury profile better. Magic Gaming plays in the NBA 2K League whose season is currently underway.
“We are excited to partner with Orlando Health in their shared commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of our athletes,” said Director of Magic Gaming Ryan DeVos in a press release announcing the partnership.
Orlando Health is now responsible for all the medical care of the Magic Gaming players including overall physical and mental health evaluations and care during the season and playoffs.
“We’re very excited about this partnership and what it means for us as an organization and the diverse and rapidly growing community of gamers all over the world who are fans and participants in esports,” said Andy Gardiner, senior vice president of external affairs and community relations at Orlando Health in the same press release.
“This is a global stage for the Orlando Health brand and an opportunity to showcase our medical team’s ability to provide the unique care these athletes require to ensure Magic Gamine can compete and win at the highest level.”
