Gaming RSI

Associate
Joined
3 May 2018
Posts
604
Hi guys,

Have any of you managed to give yourself an RSI (repetitive strain injury) like I have, by gaming?

Project Cars 1. After a few weeks playing I found the back of my neck would burn. On longer, multi-hour races it started to get really bad. I struggled on. However after a few months of this burning neck during longer races I got up to go to work one morning and I couldn't turn my neck without horrible muscle pain.

The sore neck cleared in a few days, but it left behind a grinding, clicking, grating like I had sand or gravel in my joints.

I gave up playing Projects cars, but 2 years on and I STILL have the grinding clicking neck. It even locks in place if I sit still for a while and has to be clicked hard to get it moving again. Went the local NHS physio but they told me to stetch it through all orrientations for 30 seconds once a day. While doing this clears the neck of it's current cracking, grinding, it just returns with an hour or less.

I bought Project Cars 2 and my neck is starting to do it's burning thing again. I need to assess my driving position in the game and see how I can make it better.

I don't suffer any neck problems driving in a real car, even for elongated periods. Although I suspect that is partly due to my head moving around a lot more in the real car and locked in place staring at an unmoving screen ahead in game.
 
My neck is a long term thing, but just being aware of the damage you can do. I was racing LMP2 cars in Project Cars 2 with the G920 racing wheel. The brake pedal has a rubber bung to make pressing the last 40% really hard. The LMP2 cars have high aero downforce so the braking technique is to slam the pedal down hard and then ease it off as the speed comes down.

After an hour of this the muscles around my sides and lower back where in agony. All the bracing in the seat to hit the brake hard enough was causing some serious stress.

I have since adjusted the brake sensitivity so I don't need to go anywhere near that far on the pedal.

Longer term solution is to take the bung out and drill lost of holes in it to make it softer. Or cut it in half.
 
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