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SHOULD THEY HURT?
Do your thumbs hurt while playing video games? Mine do and I’ve been dealing with this issue for a couple of years now… I’ve been seen by a couple of doctors and they all deduced that my thumb tendons are just inflamed and that I would need to stop gaming for while and rest so that they would go back to normal.
However, I couldn’t stop playing video games entirely but I did play with moderation and avoided certain games that would put more stress on my thumbs. So, instead of playing Fighting and Action games I played more Strategy games and RPGs. Alongside this, I would often exercise my thumbs before playing and started taking vitamins to strengthen my joints.
All the measures I took were a success until Dragon Ball FighterZ was released on the Nintendo Switch. How could I avoid this game? I was itching for a fighting game for a while and being a huge fan of Dragon Ball I couldn’t resist it. But, after a couple of days of play, I noticed that my thumbs were starting to ache and crack again. However, this time I didn’t want to stop.
Instead of just quitting the game I found a solution, I would need to buy an Arcade Stick! I wouldn’t need anything fancy so I decided to buy a Mayflash F300, a cheap Arcade Stick that would fit my needs perfectly. I remember playing Dragon Ball FighterZ for hours on a single weekend with it and I felt zero stress on my thumbs, my other fingers were a bit tired but that’s to be expected after hours of playing right?
Everything was going great since I got the Mayflash f300. I would play almost any game with it like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Dead Cells, Monster Hunter Ultimate, Megaman 11, and others. However, things went downhill when Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released.
Since I love Smash I bought the Limited Edtion with the GameCube controller. I was so happy that the thought of playing Smash Ultimate with an Arcade Stick didn’t even cross my mind. So, for one month I played it relentlessly with the GameCube controller and my thumbs got worse than they’ve ever been.
It didn’t need a month to reach a point where my thumbs would hurt and crack… all of this happened in the first week of playing and I decided to just ignore it.
It’s really sad that I let myself get to this point but I just couldn’t accept my situation, however, after serious introspection, I realized that if I really like Smash, as much as I think I do, playing with an Arcade Stick should be as ideal as a GameCube controller. Had I not been so stubborn and blind I could be enjoying not just Smash but all the other games I had to stop playing because of my stupidity.
Right now I’m letting my thumbs rest and it’s been three days since I’ve played a video game. However, for my thumbs to heal completely I will need 4-6 weeks of rest. Of course, it will be impossible not to touch a single game during this time, especially since I’m expecting a new game tomorrow! But I’ll be sure to play it with moderation and using the Mayflash F300!
Also, I’ll be sure to write more in-depth about the precautions I’m taking to make sure my thumbs heal completely to try and help those whose thumbs hurt while playing video games as well! And I’ll be sure to report on their conditions after a month, stay tuned!
P.S.: I just wanted to make clear that any injury I got on my thumbs wasn’t because of the controller I was using and that buying an Arcade Stick will not magically heal your thumbs. Above all get medical help first.