Gaming Causes Joint Pain in Kids: Study

The repetitive motions involved in playing video games cause joint pain in children, according to a new study by a true expert—an 11-year-old gamer. Deniz Ince, with the help of his rheumatologist dad, studied joint pain among his fellow video game enthusiasts, aged 7 to 12. More than an hour of play per day increased the chance of having pain by 50%, they found. Wii users reported more pain than users of the Xbox or Playstation, regardless of the length of play.

Younger kids reported pain after shorter intervals than older kids, leading the researchers to speculate that the repetitive stress may be damaging younger gamers’ developing tendons and joints. Asked what advice he'd give to other kids, Deniz said, "I would tell them they shouldn't play for more than one hour a day." Because the study was based on self-reports and not physical examinations, its impossible to know for sure, HealthDay reports.
(More video games stories.)