Wrist Issues

[ChrisP]

Does anybody else experience wrist pain when playing DK on a cab for an extended period? It has to do with the incline of the wrist relative to the joystick.

This is a problem for me in tournaments and I'm wondering what you all do about it.

I actually remember seeing a picture of some sort of wrist-cushion contraption that one of you had attached to your control panel but I don't remember when, or whose it was.

[Shane_NC]

This has never bothered me and I once played for 13 hours straight during a wildcard. Im thinking it might just be the way you hold your hand or a preexisting issue

[ChrisP]

Interesting, thanks, hearing about it NOT happening is useful as well. I thought this would be inevitable for anyone when keeping their wrist in a bent position for so long. It could also be that I'm jerking the stick around too roughly.

This time around I might just switch to MAME (bleh) if it gets too bad. I would much rather play on the cab, and I would hate to get a new PB on MAME, but you do what you gotta do.

[WCopeland]

I have injuries in both wrists that bother me a lot when I play for longer than a few hours at a time. It's part of the reason I stopped playing Defender and StarCraft so much.  I have a lifelong background in classical piano, and these injuries were developed primarily in college when I overstrained myself.  If any of you have ever seen any videos of me playing Defender, a lot of what is cut out of those clips is me grimacing in pain as I play.

It is very specific in DK what causes my pains: going left and right very quickly, such as when you're doing intense/tight barrel control. This is probably the most unnatural motion for the human wrist to do, and as a result it causes a lot of stress.  For this motion, I really don't believe any sort of contraption can stop the physical toll it takes on your wrists. I think the best thing you can do is stretch.

There's a very specific stretch I always do before something wrist-intensive, specifically StarCraft and Defender, where I could be performing literally hundreds of actions per minute. This is a stretch I learned in music school that was taught to me when I first began to show signs of my wrist injury. What you do is extend your arm as far outwards/straight as it will go... think of it as forming a 90 degree angle with your body.  You then put your hand straight up, sort of like you were about to push against a solid wall.  Then you take your other hand and pull the hand you just stuck straight up backwards, stretching the wrist.

DO NOT DO THIS STRETCH UNLESS YOUR ARM IS COMPLETELY STRAIGHT OUT, YOU WILL DAMAGE YOUR WRIST.  But if you do the stretch right, it's very beneficial for keeping these sorts of injuries away and it certainly does help at least me play for much longer periods of time.

[xelnia]

I'm jerking the stick around too roughly.

Well there's your problem.




Actually, I'm sorry...this is no time for masturbation jokes.

[JCHarrist]

With extended DK play, I get a blister on my left palm where it rests on the edge of the T-molding so I have a piece of foam taped there. Maybe that's what you saw a picture of?

Age probably plays a role too. I can't do anything for 2 hours straight anymore without something starting to hurt. 

[danman123456]

True what bothers me actually is my left pinky. The way it sits on the control panel under the little ball joystick it starts to ache and I have to stretch it out flat sometimes or it really starts to throb. I'm with Jeff getting older sucks. After about 3 hours even on the cushioned barstool I bought my ass and knees start killing me.  (No I'm not in a turkish prison)...

[lakeman421]

All the time especially when i play multiple days in a row

[f_symbols]

Sometimes I will develop blisters or callouses on the "pisiform carpals" (its the little bump at the base of the palm, below the pinky near your arm/wrist junction. This happens to both wrists and is amplified by stretches of daily playing or these tourneys...

NERDLINGERS!

[Fast Eddie]

playing standing up is pretty hard on the wrists due to the incline, but i find a correct hight stool keeps the wrists at a nice angle and you can rest your elbows on your thighs...

i can play basic 2 hammer for long sessions with no problem but add grouping to the game and i really feel it in the left wrist...

 

[Xermon54]

I also used to have wrist issues, but it was for a different reason... 

[marinomitch13]

playing standing up is pretty hard on the wrists due to the incline, but i find a correct hight stool keeps the wrists at a nice angle and you can rest your elbows on your thighs...

Exactly this^

I, ironically, have pretty good wrists, even with all the shot putt, discus, weightlifting, and football (lineman) I've done. Not to mention guitar, drums, and piano. Idk what all helps and what all hurts my wrists in the long run.  :-\

[NightRider]

Like some others, I have problems with my wrists if I play standing up. If I sit on a stool or in a chair, I'm fine.

[RogerChampagne]

If you are having wrist problems while playing donkey kong or anything to do with lots of repetition of a body part you are just overstraining that body part.  Like others have said on here stretching is the best thing you can do.  Im a mason and running a trowel all day long my wrist was pretty much shot last year.  The doctors told me to wear a wrist brace while i worked and to do stretching after hours.  Like WCopeland said just keep your arm straight out in front of you like your pushing up against a wall and pull it back slightly with your opposite hand not to far but what is comfortable for you.  Then with your arm straight out again this time have your hand like your pusing the wall with the back of your hand take your opposite hand and put your thumb on your wrist by the palm and take your four fingers on the back of the hand and pull the hand towards you like i said not to far to hurt youself but what feels comfortable.  Do both those stretches and then move your hand around in circles in both direction you do not need to go fast the slower the better and then repeat the other stretches and rotation again.  Do this a couple times a day would be more then efficient.   Like i said dont do more then your pain level can take you might be doing more damage then good.  But I have to say it took my wrist probably 8 months to get better so dont think it will get better right off and the wrist brace worked well too and you can get that at any CVS or WAL-MART.  And a vicodin from time to time seem to help also and they were perscribed by a doctor.. I am not saying to abuse this drug it is an addicting medication take responsibly.  And I know we have all been thinking this while reading these post so here ill say it use your other hand to masturbate 

[WCopeland]

Like others have said on here stretching is the best thing you can do.

just keep your arm straight out in front of you like your pushing up against a wall and pull it back slightly with your opposite hand not to far but what is comfortable for you.

 

And a vicodin from time to time seem to help also

use your other hand to masturbate