How to Avoid Gamer's Thumb
Ever feel that sudden pain in your hand after an intense gaming session? Gamer's thumb is no joke! It's a genuine repetitive stress injury that can inflame the tendons around your thumb. Not only does it hurt, but it'll take you out of the action while you recover.
Luckily, there are ways to avoid gamer's thumb. Check out our favorite tips below!
Prayer Stretches
Here are a couple of effective wrist stretches for gaming. They're aptly named for the position you put your hands in.
Start by pressing your palms and fingers together as your hand points upward like you're praying. Extend your arms and push those elbows out to create a right-angle stretch at the wrists.
To bump up the intensity, slowly lower your hands. Doing so will stretch the wrist tendons even further. Hold the position for about 30 seconds before resting and repeating.
Reverse prayer stretches are similar to the standard motion. But instead of pressing the palms together, use the back of your hands and point the fingers down. It looks and feels a bit awkward, but the stretch makes all the difference. For more information about wrist stretches for gaming, please visit this website.
Thumb Abductor
This stretch focuses on the thumb directly. It's an excellent exercise to do before and after a gaming session.
Extend your arm and open your hand so that your palm faces away from you. Make a motion as if you're telling someone to stop. Then, use your index and middle finger from the other hand to pull your forward-facing thumb.
Feel the stretch at the base of your thumb as you hold the position for 30 seconds. After that, swap hands and stretch your other thumb!
Thumb Extensor
The thumb extensor stretch is one that you can do on both hands simultaneously. Begin by bending your thumbs into your hands. Use the rest of your fingers to wrap around the thumb. Then, slowly turn the wrist towards the pinky side of your hand.
You should feel the stretch on the wrist and into the forearm.
Have Fun and Avoid Injury
Who knew a few wrist stretches for gaming could make such a difference? These exercises only take a few minutes, but they'll do a lot to help you avoid the pain that comes from the dreaded gamer's thumb.
Read a similar article about gaming mouse sensitivity here at this page.