Spinal Advice for Gamers
Growing numbers of people are flocking to their PC’s to spend hours of fun online with friends. But at what cost to their health?
Whether it’s about the social interaction or the quest to be the best, the long hours and days spent sitting at the PC have a significant impact on your posture, spine and general health.
There are two types of postures that Gamers adopt:
The Lean
When engrossed in a game, without knowing it, the player starts to lean closer towards the screen. When you consider that a human head weighs about the same as a bowling ball the amount of stress on the neck, upper back, shoulders and chest muscles, as well as the spinal nerves (which are important for relaying information from the brain to the body and vice versa) come under great strain.
Chest muscles become tight pulling the arms forward and down while the back muscles, like the trapezius muscles (traps) and latissimus dorsi (lats), become overly stretched furthering exaggerating “the Lean”. Over time, those back muscles become weak and no longer efficient at maintaining good posture.
Couch Slouch
Some Gamers prefer to play reclined in a chair or couch, which can be very comfortable. However, slouching for many days over many weeks can weaken the core muscles which are designed to take the majority of postural weight. When the core “turns off”, a lot of this postural weight transfers to the posterior chain (the lower back), which isn't designed to hold that type of stress nearly as well as the core. This can lead to back pain over time, as well as an increased chance of injury to the lower back, due to a lack of stabilisation.
Studies have shown when areas of the spine are under a lot of stress it can interfere with the brain's ability to accurately collect and send information to and from the body, this in turn can lead to poor sensorimotor integration. This can reduce reaction time and effect hand-eye coordination – which no serious gamer wants!
What you can do?
Improve sitting posture
Sit as upright as you can, if you start getting tired take a break rather than relinquish your good posture.
A gaming chair allows you to keep correct posture. The chair angle should be 90-110 degrees.
Adjust your monitor so that the top of the screen is at eye level.
Keep a comfortable distance between yourself and the screen without sacrificing your posture.
An ergonomic keyboard is useful in maintaining a neutral wrist position, however, it comes at a price as mechanical keyboards allow our wrist into extension providing faster response time which is crucial in winning.
Create an exercise program
An exercise program can help core muscles such as the abdominals, erector spinae, gluteus, quadriceps and hamstrings toned. These muscles are key for sitting and posture. Yoga and Pilates are also great as they help with improved flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance, allowing you to maintain good posture.
Stretching can alleviate symptoms of bad posture, such as back pain and stiffness. Stretching the muscles of the upper back, neck and chest will relieve pain and tension but also improve performance. Examples of some stretches are:
Chest stretch - Place your hands behind your head, gently squeeze your shoulder blades together and move your elbows and hands backward.
Upper traps stretch - Tilt your head to one side and slightly forward, the arm on your opposite side should be down at your side, lower your arm and shoulder to create a better stretch.
Chin tucks - Standing with your back against the wall and head in neutral position, retract your neck back, pulling the chin and head straight back until a good stretch is felt at the base of the head and top of the neck. This will strengthen the neck flexors. This is a great exercise to strengthen the posterior neck muscles.
Ask your Chiropractor about stretches specific to your needs to perform and function better.
Take regular breaks
Regular breaks are essential to giving your body time to rest. Our bodies are made to move. Allowing regular breaks keeps spine functioning optimally. Get up every twenty minutes from your seated position and move your body - stretch, squat, walk, breathe, and reset. Now, it’s Game On!
Reference: The effects of manual therapy on balance and falls: a systematic review. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2012; 35: 227-234)