How Do You Deal With Poker Injuries? (Sore arm/wrist)

[derekeverett]

I didn't know exactly how to title this thread, so sorry if it's a little misleading.

My issue is this, I work on a computer. I also multi-table a lot of sng's in a week (Yes I use key commands too - but some mousing is unavoidable), and I'm a songwriter as well, so I play guitar and keyboard on a regular basis.

All these things leave my right arm (mousing hand/wrist) very sore some days. There are nights that I have trouble sleeping even because of it.

I have a wrist pad for my mousing arm which helps, but it's not a cure-all. I'm sure the iMac mouse isn't the best mouse to be using either.

I think it's the poker that really brings out the pain. When I take breaks from poker (usually last 2-4 weeks) my arm improves A LOT. I start playing and it starts hurting again within a couple days. Obviously, I'd like to do what I can to try and prevent anymore damage.

All suggestions/ideas appreciated. Thanks.

[Savy]

You'll probably get loads of better answers than this, but if you search for stretches and movements to help cure wrist pain then that'll definitely help.

[jyms]

If you're not working out, with resistance training a few times a week this will only get worse. The combination of muscle loss from inactivity and lack of flexibility will cause you more pain in your back, neck, shoulders and extremities.

The ability to work out regularly will also help your ability to play longer sessions and think clearer from better blood flow and Oxygen/.nutrient uptake in the brain.

[derekeverett]

Great answers from both of you.. guess I should have mentioned more detail.

In the past year I've made a point of focusing on diet and exercise. I do weight training/stretching about 3x a week and I don't eat junk/processed foods. I rarely drink anything that isn't water. No booze, no drugs, no cigarettes, no caffeine etc... I also practice meditation and deep breathing.

I'm a pretty big believer in those things now and they have made a difference. The pain I get was much worse in previous years. But it does remain now that I'm playing poker again.

[kiwiMark]

might be time to invest in a fleshlight

[supa]

You're obviously just too healthy. I suggest drinking whiskey (with an "e") and taking up smoking. Eventually you'll feel shitty enough that little things like this won't seem so bad.

[seven-deuce]

LOL @ thinking poker is hurting your arm when your lifting weights and stretching three times per week. This type of high-volume training has a taxing effect on the central nervous and recovery systems, i think you need to take a break man. I would recommend cutting the gym out completely for AT LEAST 2 weeks, this is enough time to allow your body to fully recuperate.

You can thank me later.

[supa]

Jyms?

[derekeverett]

might be time to invest in a fleshlight

You made me Google.. but it was worth the effort.

[derekeverett]

You're obviously just too healthy. I suggest drinking whiskey (with an "e") and taking up smoking. Eventually you'll feel shitty enough that little things like this won't seem so bad.

I like your logic here. And rest assured I certainly have put my whiskey and smoking time in. I've paid them dues.

[derekeverett]

LOL @ thinking poker is hurting your arm when your lifting weights and stretching three times per week. This type of high-volume training has a taxing effect on the central nervous and recovery systems, i think you need to take a break man. I would recommend cutting the gym out completely for AT LEAST 2 weeks, this is enough time to allow your body to fully recuperate.

You can thank me later.

I take 7-10 days off every 10 -12 weeks.

LIke I said, when I'm not playing poker the pain reduces by 75% or better. I don't argue that my nervous system has a lot to tackle in terms of healing. But I do notice it's more tolerable now that I am watching diet and exercising in comparison to when I wasn't doing those things.

Nobody uses any kind of special mouse or anything along those lines?

[ISillyDurrrAK]

Fill the intervals between pokersessions with some porntubes.

[jyms]

FWIW I had a huge problem with my elbow a while back on my left arm. What had happened was I had moved the living room and computer around and actually sat the other way on the computer watching TV while surfing. I hadn't realized I was actually surfing left handed and was sitting with my feet up on a couch and had my arm in an awkward position when not playing pokers. It was extending the elbow too much. I would also look into how your sitting, how you're resting your arm and even think about getting a wireless mouse/keyboard and sit back. find more natural positions with your table and chair. Measure your workspace heights. Look at the difference in positions of work postures and at home.

[spoonitnow]

LOL @ thinking poker is hurting your arm when your lifting weights and stretching three times per week. This type of high-volume training has a taxing effect on the central nervous and recovery systems, i think you need to take a break man. I would recommend cutting the gym out completely for AT LEAST 2 weeks, this is enough time to allow your body to fully recuperate.

You can thank me later.

Man I was starting to like you before you posted this load of horse shit.

[kiwiMark]

I would also look into how your sitting, how you're resting your arm and even think about getting a wireless mouse/keyboard and sit back.

Yeah if you want serious advice from me it would be this sort of thing. Height of chair compared to height of desk, are you resting your wrist on the desk and just flicking the mouse to and fro or do you keep your wrist elevated so the movement comes from your whole forearm, etc. etc.

While this seems like a good place to ask since online poker players are computer intensive users, we're far from the only ones- you might have better luck doing searches completely unrelated to poker - there are tons of people sitting in offices all day and some of them are bound to have experienced similar problems. Worst case you'll pick up good tips for avoiding RSI etc.

[MadMojoMonkey]

I notice fatigue in my mouse hand when playing long poker sessions, too.

I have a mental exercise of forcing myself to lift my hand off the mouse when I'm not using it. Even for only a second. The forced relaxation of my hand muscles really makes a huge difference.

If you're experiencing any numbness, then clearly you should see a doctor. It might not be a bad idea to do so anyway.

[derekeverett]

I'm gonna do some digging into proper computer posture... thanks all.

[BennyLaRue]

I'm gonna do some digging into proper computer posture... thanks all.

Or do some computing on proper digging posture.

[chemist]

Variation.
Don't always sit in the same position.
Make occasional and regular changes.
Re-Angle the monitor.
Move the chair.
Move the mouse mat.
With frequent small variations the repetitive position causing the problem can be avoided.

Also try to avoid using the right click, middle buttons, or scroll wheel on mouse with middle finger or ring finger. These actions cause unusual stretching of the wrist.

Mark will probably correct me here, but for most people, middle finger usage is not a natural function.

The index, pointing finger, is better suited to these actions.

Exercise: You could try squeezing a tennis ball regularly, to exercise and strengthen wrist and fingers.

[Chelle]

wrist brace maybe?

[jyms]

wrist brace maybe?

The problem with adding braces for wrists, knees, elbows or low backs is without a proper rehabilitation of some kind the muscles become weaker and more dependant on the support. So long as you are doing things to correct the problem, wearing the brace when you could do more damage then it's cool.

[oskar]

When it already hurts, definitely go see a doctor. It seems like a faggy thing to do, but you can actually do permanent damage, and when it hurts that's a sign that something is already inflamed That can lead to all kinds of terrible things. I know a number of musicians who had to have their arms cut open from wrist to ellbow to get that shit sorted out. And I have a permanent knot in one of my sinews from playing guitar in a bad way.


The first thing I would tell you is: don't spend that much time in front of a computer, but if you have to, spend some time reading about ergonomics. Taking regular walking breaks are also really important to prevent blood clogs - and those are actually really scary.


I'm already feeling silly talking about the dangers of sitting on your ass, but it's a scary world out there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUohpQKVf_A
Starting at 5:20 starts the part that is relevant to you. Do these streches, fix your body position.

** and what the Jyms said about braces: Do not self-prescribe braces.

[Galapogos]

I have my desk/chair levels set so I can rest my elbows on my chair arms at a height where when my hands rest of the keyboard at this position the arching of my wrist and fingers is minimalized.

Not sure how effective this actually is, but before I started doing it, my keyboard was too high and my mouse was on a separate piece of desk that was too low and my hands were hurting a lot from it. Once I switched to the current setup the problem has disappeared.

[derekeverett]

Thanks everybody. I think my desk is part of the problem. I have a really large desk in order to support 2 big displays on studio monitors. Problem is, as with all oversized desks, it sits fairly high. It will take some time, but I'll start looking at another solution.

I will also watch the video, and mention the issue to my doctor.