Nintendo thumb
Encyclopedia
Nintendo thumb, known also as gamer's grip, Nintendinitis and similar names, is a video game-related health problem classified as a form of repetitive strain injury
(RSI). The symptoms are the blister
ing, paraesthesia and swelling of the thumb
s, mainly through use of the D-pad
, though any finger
can be affected. This can lead to stress on tendon
s, nerve
s and ligament
s in the hands, and further onto lateral epicondylitis ("tennis elbow"), tendinitis, bursitis
and carpal tunnel syndrome
(CTS).
Some of the symptoms are described under trigger finger
.
Originally known in a video gaming context as "Leather Thumb", this condition was known to occur frequently among users of the Atari 2600 home video game console in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The condition was first highlighted when the Nintendo
games consoles were released, leading to reported cases of RSI, primarily in children (being one of the primary audiences of videogames). Later, the controllers for the Sony
PlayStation
and PlayStation 2
were noted as causing the condition. However, due to the shape, size and extended use of game controllers it is not limited to just those specific ones and can occur in users of any gamepad or joystick
. Similar problems have also been with the use of mobile phones, and text messaging
in particular (see Blackberry thumb
).
In June 2005, the South African Medical Journal
published a report by Safura Abdool Karim, a 13-year-old who had investigated such problems occurring in people at her school.
Repetitive strain injury
Repetitive strain injury is an injury of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that may be caused by...
(RSI). The symptoms are the blister
Blister
A blister is a small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin, typically caused by forceful rubbing , burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled with a clear fluid called serum or plasma...
ing, paraesthesia and swelling of the thumb
Thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
s, mainly through use of the D-pad
D-pad
A D-pad is a flat, usually thumb-operated directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads, game controllers, on the remote control units of some television and DVD players, and smart phones...
, though any finger
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
can be affected. This can lead to stress on tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
s, nerve
Nerve
A peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...
s and ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
s in the hands, and further onto lateral epicondylitis ("tennis elbow"), tendinitis, bursitis
Bursitis
Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae of synovial fluid in the body. The bursae rest at the points where internal functionaries, such as muscles and tendons, slide across bone. Healthy bursae create a smooth, almost frictionless functional gliding surface making normal movement painless...
and carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an entrapment idiopathic median neuropathy, causing paresthesia, pain, and other symptoms in the distribution of the median nerve due to its compression at the wrist in the carpal tunnel. The pathophysiology is not completely understood but can be considered compression...
(CTS).
Some of the symptoms are described under trigger finger
Trigger finger
Trigger finger, trigger thumb, or trigger digit, is a common disorder of later adulthood characterized by catching, snapping or locking of the involved finger flexor tendon, associated with dysfunction and pain...
.
Originally known in a video gaming context as "Leather Thumb", this condition was known to occur frequently among users of the Atari 2600 home video game console in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The condition was first highlighted when the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
games consoles were released, leading to reported cases of RSI, primarily in children (being one of the primary audiences of videogames). Later, the controllers for the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
were noted as causing the condition. However, due to the shape, size and extended use of game controllers it is not limited to just those specific ones and can occur in users of any gamepad or joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
. Similar problems have also been with the use of mobile phones, and text messaging
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
in particular (see Blackberry thumb
BlackBerry thumb
BlackBerry thumb is a neologism that refers to a form of repetitive strain injury caused by the frequent use of the thumbs to press buttons on PDAs, smartphones, or other mobile devices...
).
In June 2005, the South African Medical Journal
South African Medical Journal
The South African Medical Journal is a monthly peer-reviewed open-access medical journal which has been published in South Africa since 1884...
published a report by Safura Abdool Karim, a 13-year-old who had investigated such problems occurring in people at her school.
See also
- Video game-related health problemsVideo game-related health problemsVideo game-related health problems can induce repetitive strain injuries, skin disorders or other health issues. Other problems include video game-provoked seizures in patients with epilepsy. In rare and extreme cases, deaths have resulted from excessive video game playing .There may or may not be...
- Blackberry thumbBlackBerry thumbBlackBerry thumb is a neologism that refers to a form of repetitive strain injury caused by the frequent use of the thumbs to press buttons on PDAs, smartphones, or other mobile devices...
- Tennis elbowTennis elbowLateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondylalgia, also known as tennis elbow, shooter's elbow and archer's elbow, is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender...
- Cello scrotumCello scrotumCello scrotum is a hoax medical condition originally published as a brief case report in the British Medical Journal in 1974. As its name suggests, it was purportedly an affliction of the scrotum affecting male players of the cello.-History:...
- Golfer's elbowGolfer's elbowGolfer's elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is an inflammatory condition of the medial epicondyle of the elbow. It is in some ways similar to tennis elbow....
- Jogger's nippleJogger's nippleFissure of the nipple, also known as jogger's nipple, is a condition that can be caused by friction that can result in soreness, dryness or irritation to, or bleeding of, one or both nipples during and/or following running or other physical exercise...
- Surfer's earSurfer's EarSurfer's ear is the common name for an exostosis or abnormal bone growth within the ear canal. Surfer's ear is not the same as swimmer's ear, although infection can result as a side effect....
External links
- "Computer games pose injury risk" at BBC News, 23 December 1999.
- "'Nintendo Thumb' Points to RSI" at Wired NewsWired NewsWired News is an online technology news website, formerly known as HotWired, that split off from Wired magazine when the magazine was purchased by Condé Nast Publishing in the 1990s. Wired News was owned by Lycos not long after the split, until Condé Nast purchased Wired News on July 11, 2006...
, 3 December 1998. - "Computer games cripple kiddies" at The RegisterThe RegisterThe Register is a British technology news and opinion website. It was founded by John Lettice, Mike Magee and Ross Alderson in 1994 as a newsletter called "Chip Connection", initially as an email service...
, 12 December 2000.