The World's Fair

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.

(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...)