If youve got a youngster who is a wizard at Wii, but whiny about aches and pains, it may be time to put the controller down.
A new study finds many young video game users have the same joints complaints as a person decades older... many decades older. Fingers and wrists seem to be the most prone to overuse. And the younger the player, the more likely they are to have sore joints.
Although all age groups can overdo it, it seems those under age seven are at highest risk (wrists tended to be the sorest joint for them.)
And those who play for more than an hour a day seem to have the most complaints.
The type of machine or console was studied, but it seems if the same type of game is played over and over again, youve got a higher risk of problems.
Researchers say young, growing muscles and tendons are ripe for overuse- something to keep in mind if youre youngster is glued to the buttons. Its unknown what the long term effects might be.
