Unknown to Many: Esports Athletes Also Get Injuries

Injuries in any kind of sport are inevitable even for the best athletes on the planet. Some injuries may cause an athlete to miss a few games or even an entire season and yes, there are some injuries that are considered as career-enders. While traditional athletes are always facing the risk of getting injured on a daily basis, the same can also be said for athletes in Esports. And if you ever think that you won't get injured just by sitting eight to twelve hours a day playing games professionally, then you know nothing. 

In last Saturday's fifth episode of "Bully by the Horn" by Benny Benitez, one of the guests who chimed in about the importance of physical well-being for athletes during these trying times is Martin Alido- a strengthening and conditioning coach who is currently handling the Esports players who participated in the 2020 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Esports Open. And while Alido shared that training for conventional athletes and that of Esports athletes are practically the same, and that, his primary goal is to prevent players from fatiguing themselves when playing, he also mentioned that some Esports athletes are already retired by the age of 23 due to injuries. And the type of injuries that Esports are prone to, are actually injuries that we usually encounter on a daily basis.

One of the most common injuries that Esports athletes encounter is the one they call "carpal tunnel syndrome". This is basically an injury in the wrist that can occur carpal tunnel has become too narrow and that, the structures that the carpal tunnel contains no longer have enough space. When this happens, the pressure on the nerve on the middle arm and the small vessels that supply the carpal tunnel increases. As a result, the said nerve can no longer receive oxygen and nutrients it needs to function and can cause athletes to feel pain and numbness in the wrist and fingers during the initial stages. If this condition is not treated properly, it can lead to the whole arm being affected by the injury and it could occur permanently. One can even lose the feeling of the fingers and consequently, it can impair the fine motor skills of the hand affected. 

Another common injury that Esports athletes are facing the risk of sustaining is what they call "tennis elbow". Also referred to as the "mouse elbow", this can be triggered by the overloading of the entire muscular system that is primarily responsible for the overall performance of the bending and stretching of the wrist area. As a result of the increased tension in the muscle, fine cracks at the base of the muscle tendons at the elbow joint can develop. These cracks are the reason why gamers are feeling pain in the elbow area and if the overpowering activity continues, chronic inflammation can materialize which can result to one experiencing severe pain in the hand. Permanently. The said pain can also radiate into the forearm and even down to the hand. If not treated, this may lead to one losing strength in the affected hand and finger muscles while tingling sensation in the hands can also be experienced.

The third and perhaps, most common injuries that Esports athletes are experiencing is something that we experiencing too: back pain. Usual causes of back pain are lack of physical activities, incorrect seating posture when playing or, stress.  But for Esports athletes, sitting for too long is the primary cause of them experiencing back pain. The pain, usually coming from the lower back area, is triggered by the tension in the muscle among other factors that come at play at the same time. Pain in the neck and shoulder can be considered as a symptom that someone is experiencing back pain which can't also be attributed to the mobility limitation that is brought about by playing games. If and when you experience back pain and you decide to ignore it, this may lead to you developing a herniated disk, experiencing irritation of the sciatic nerve, and other health problems that are associated with back pain.

As experts say it, "Prevention is always better than cure" and since we're living in a time when going to a hospital is already a danger itself, the more Esports athletes should listen to their strengthening and conditioning coaches in order for them to lessen the chances of them getting injured while they are having fun professionally. As Martin Alido said, "They are professionals" and that they need to take care of themselves. 

Photo is from Acer