Playstation thumb

Playstation thumb

Avid gamers should be aware that they’re at risk of a potential health problem: Playstation thumb.

Okayit’s not exactly a SERIOUS health problem, but hours spent gripping a handset controller while playing video games may cause a painful irritation of one or both thumbs.

There’s no doubt this is a growing phenomenon, because it’s now been officially recognized by a leading medical journal: The Lancet.

The Lancet item isn’t major study, or even a minor study, or even an expert analysis. In fact it’s a letter sent in by 9-year-old Hrisheekesh Jayant Vaidya who writes to say that after playing a “fast-paced fighting game on a Playstation 2 (PS2),” he developed a blister. His father took a photo of the blister, and The Lancet published the photo along with the letter.

But Hrisheekesh’s dad also laid down the law, banning PS2 until the injury healed. Happy ending: The thumb was fine in about a week and the gaming ban was lifted.

Here’s a perfect case where the treatment also provides a natural preventive regimen. In fact, it’s a regimen that mothers have been recommending for years: Turn off that TV and go play outside!

Source:
“Playstation Thumb” The Lancet, Vol. 363, No. 9414, thelancet.com