Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Gaming Causes Joint Pain in Kids: Study

Child scientist finds 60+ minutes of daily play may cause trouble

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 19, 2009 4:04 PM CDT

(Newser) – 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.

In this photo released by Nintendo, Roger Walland and daughters Rachel, 5, left, and Jennifer, 2, from Plano, Texas enjoy the popular Wii system from Nintendo, Saturday Nov. 28, 2008.
In this photo released by Nintendo, Roger Walland and daughters Rachel, 5, left, and Jennifer, 2, from Plano, Texas enjoy the popular Wii system from Nintendo, Saturday Nov. 28, 2008.   (AP Photo/Nintendo, Bob Riha, Jr.)
The new Wii MotionPlus accessory for Nintendo's Wii Remote controller gives players new levels of precision and performance when used with specially designed games.
The new Wii MotionPlus accessory for Nintendo's Wii Remote controller gives players new levels of precision and performance when used with specially designed games.   (Photo: Business Wire)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
zackmasson
Oct 21, 2009 8:13 AM CDT
what an ignorant comment jagerhans. I'm very athletic, im referring to late night gaming on the weekends. douche.
2-bits
Oct 21, 2009 1:34 AM CDT
Zack, he wasn't talking to you.
jagerhans
Oct 20, 2009 9:41 AM CDT
we will end up playing WII tennis on a tennis field.

More Newser Stories

Mom Calls Cops on Grand Theft Auto -Addled Teen

More Girls Get Into Gaming

Xbox Price Cut to Clear Way for New Model

Grand Theft Auto IV Marks the End for Next-Gen Gaming

UK Teachers Blame Parents for Bratty Kids


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne