Today at the SCQ, we've put up a journal club entry (i.e. full citation details and you can also get the pdf of the first page of the article at that link).
It's kind of an obvious one, which simply shows data whereby you're more likely to exert energy when playing Nintendo Wii vs the XBOX (which doesn't have the motion detection thing going on). Just to clarify, the paper also goes to show that, in addition, you're more likely to exert energy when playing the real sport as compared to playing its simulation on the Wii. Who funds this kind of stuff, I don't know.
Anyway, what turns out to be more interesting to me are some of the letters written in response to the paper. One in particular which went:
(Entitled: Watch out for the New Year Diagnosis of Wii Shoulder! - Jan 8, 2008)As discussed by Graves et al [1] playing new generation active computer games uses significantly more energy than playing sedentary computer games. We would like to present a case that unless asked for in a history may be overlooked in children who are over-weight or have been inactive for a while.
In the first clinic after Christmas I encountered a child who was complaining of tiredness and a sore shoulder. This child had done less exercise over the past 3 years whilst he was unwell. Having had to play the new Nintendo Wii for Christmas myself; I asked them what they were given for Christmas. The answer was a Nintendo Wii. Having checked everything else I made the diagnosis of "Wii shoulder". Anyone who has played the Nintendo Wii will know exactly what I mean and will relate to the shoulder pain with a laugh. This is not a typical games console where you just sit down and play. Playing tennis and boxing are just two interactive games on Wii sport. It does however get you using muscles you have not used for a long time and hence the next day you can complain of some discomfort. Within a day the discomfort wears off and then you are back to normal. This musculoskeletal discomfort typically occurs with exercise after a period of inactivity. Anyone who goes to the gym also feels this "post exercise" discomfort but soon recovers.
With the Nintendo Wii being a Christmas sell out, we are all likely to see the new diagnosis "Wii shoulder". This diagnosis I am sure will be seen in all age groups because of it's popularity with everybody [2].
With increasing childhood obesity maybe the use of the Nintendo Wii can help if used in conjunction with a specialised obesity clinic. Further research is needed.
1. Graves L, Stratton G, Ridgers ND, Cable NT.Comparison of energy expenditure in adolescents when playing new generation and sedentary computer games: cross sectional study. BMJ. 2007 Dec 22;335(7633):1282-4.
2. Allen D. You're never too old for a Wii. Nurs Older People. 2007 Oct;19(8):8
Anyway, this letter just highlights that injuries from the video game is not just limited to the senior set (which is what reference #2 primarily goes through).
So... just curious who else (who managed to get a hold of a Wii this past Christmas), is suffering some shoulder pain? I'm ashamed to admit it but I think I might fit under that category a bit (must be getting old...)
Medicine & Health
Technology
Comments
I do get Wii shoulder, but only after playing Baseball.
Posted by: Jimmy | January 17, 2008 12:46 PM
My shoulder hurt like hell after getting whipped repeatedly by my niece at Wii tennis a couple weeks ago. I recommend some stretching as warmup.
Posted by: Sven DiMilo | January 17, 2008 12:57 PM
I was starting to get Wii shoulder then I realized that if you don't press the A button to speed skip the instant replays, your body has enough time to adjust and prepare to the next insult, and the shoulder effect is not as bad.
Posted by: Greg Laden | January 17, 2008 1:05 PM
Yesterday, I got Wii shoulder after playing baseball for the first time. Now my muscles get tense whenever I write or move my arm in general. Good thing I don't own a Wii myself.
Posted by: Jane | April 21, 2009 3:36 PM
.., psychotherapy is also a good way on how you can lessen shoulder pain.. since it is also one of the safest methods you can take...
Posted by: Elbow Pain | January 15, 2010 1:36 AM
my brother ask me if he could still swim with Wii shoulder.well it depends if it is a slight pain nothing big you should probably continue but if you can not deal with the pain i recommended you go to a doctor or just stop swimming..
Posted by: Shoulder Pain Treatment | April 22, 2010 8:34 PM
Yesterday, I got Wii shoulder after playing baseball for the first time. Now my muscles get tense whenever I write or move my arm in general. Good thing I don't own a Wii myself.
Posted by: red pepper | April 27, 2010 8:03 AM
Playing Super Mario Galaxy for about 4 hours every night for 4 nights while my girlfriend was away has given me permanent damage to my right shoulder. When she came back I complained of a pain in my right shoulder,which almost feels like its just under the shoulder blade. The next day I couldn't get out of bed and could only lie down comfortably with no pain in one position. This lasted 3 weeks. We then moved house and in doing so, although agonizing, the pain went away.
But since then, my shoulder has suffered from the same thing time and time again. I don't play a Wii or any games console for that matter.. The pain is in the exact place every time. The reason why I'm posting this is because i'm suffering from it horrendously right now. I fell in the ice and landed on my butt the other day but i think it must have jarred my shoulder too as it hurt for days as did my lower back. They felt noticeably better after 3 or so days. Went to a friends on Christmas day. They got their son Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Christmas. I played it for about 15 minutes and that was that. Shoulder got worse and worse immediately. Its the 27th of December now and I played it on the 25th. If its not any better tomorrow i'll have to get to the docs for pain proper relief. It's like that sick feeling you get when u get kicked in the balls, but sharper, and worse depending on your arm position.
Posted by: Ryan | December 27, 2010 7:08 PM
Now my muscles get tense whenever I write or move my arm in general. Good thing I don't own a Wii myself.
Posted by: gainmax | December 31, 2010 3:15 AM