Why gamers need a DSE assessment

Gaming is one of the biggest hobbies of the last decade, so much so that there are even world cups dedicated to certain games.

Just last month, the Fortnite World Cup finals took place in New York City at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The title of the best Fortnite player in the world went to Kyle Giersdorf, who walked away with the first-place prize of $3 million.

Gaming is now considered a form of sport, named Esports, and with any sport, it is important to make sure your physical form is correct so that you don’t injure yourself. Therefore, when gaming, it is important that the way you are sitting is correct. When you are sitting correctly, this will decrease the chances of developing a Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSDs).

Gamers, especially professional gamers, could be sat down for up to 8 hours a day or more. If you are sat down for prolonged hours on a chair that is not ergonomically correct for you, then this could cause major health issues.

What health issues could gaming cause?                 

When sat down for long hours on a poor ergonomic chair then you are bound to experience some kind of neck, back or shoulder pain. If you leave the pain, then it’s likely to become worse, and may stop you from doing everyday activities.

Gamers usually use some kind of controller or keyboard to play their games. This involves using the fingers, thumbs, and wrists repetitively, which could cause repetitive strain injury (RSI). Symptoms of RSI include stiffness, sharp pains, dull aches, numbness, tingling or poor grip, which may come on after a heavy gaming session.

It is so important to be aware of the pain that game controllers could cause to the hands, by doing regular hand exercises you’re likely to decrease the chances of MSDs in the hands.

What to do if you are uncomfortable in your gaming chair?

The best thing to do if you feel uncomfortable and in pain due to the chair you are gaming in is to get a DSE assessment. A DSE assessment is a form of risk assessment that helps identify any issues with current setups with a games station or desk area, as well as identifying products that may assist on a proactive basis with regards to MSDs.

DSE assessments will involve one of our ergonomic experts coming to where your gaming setup is situated,  assessing the setup and guiding you to solutions to enable you to maintain a comfortable gaming posture.

For more information on how we could help call us on 01422 659051 or email us at info@vergouk.com.