Research shows the average 8- to 18-year-old American spends 44½ hours a week using various forms of media.
In the late '80s and early '90s the kids called it "Nintendo thumb" - that intense pain following hours of gripping tightly a video game controller and repetitive pressing and tapping of buttons.
For most children and teens, the pain subsides after rest from computing or gaming. For a few, it develops into a repetitive strain injury, muscular skeletal problems - the most common being carpal tunnel - that in years past were mostly found in adults.
Research out of the Kaiser Family Foundation released earlier this year found the average 8- to 18-year-old American spends 44½ hours a week using various forms of media, excluding media used for homework.
"That doesn't surprise me at all," Holston Medical Group's Dr. John Heise said. "It's the small percentage of kids who are addicted to the computer and video games who are at the most risk for developing some kind of injury."
The video and computer gaming industry took note of the problem several years ago and changed the design of most controllers to be more ergonomic, Heise said. But the risk is still there.
"Some repetitive motions are more harmful than others," the pediatric and adolescent doctor said. "The two most harmful are if the wrist is in a flexed position or if a game requires a quick or forceful tapping motion with the thumb or fingers."
Symptoms of a repetitive strain injury include tingling, numbness and localized sharp pain in the neck, shoulders, upper back, upper arm, elbows, forearms, wrists, thumbs or fingers. All indicate nerve and muscle damage may be present. Most are treated with rest or splinting, but some extreme cases can require surgery.
If a child complains of one or more of the symptoms, Heise said, parents should monitor the child's pain for a day or so. Take away the media that's causing the discomfort, treat the hurt with an over-the-counter pain reliever and apply ice.
"Odds are the child just needs a break from the game," Heise said. "But if after 24 or 48 hours the pain's still there, they need to go to a doctor."
Experts also recommend making sure your home computer and gaming environments are appropriate for children. Make sure computer desks and chairs are adjustable to the height of a child as well as an adult. Consider buying a computer monitor that can be adjusted for height.
"Chairs that aren't made for kids can lead to backaches," Heise said. "Video rockers are good alternatives that allow motion and are designed for children."
Even with all the controversy surrounding violence in video games and their link to childhood obesity, Heise said he's seeing some encouraging trends emerge in the industry.
"The Dance Dance Revolution game is an absolutely great way to get kids and teens moving and away from a potentially harmful repetitive motion," he said. "My 11-year-old doesn't even realize he's getting exercise. To him, it's just fun."
Other movement-oriented games on the market include baseball, football and golf where players swing a bat or golf club or quarterback a play.
"Most kids have better visual coordination and reflexes than generations before them because of video games," Heise said. "Hopefully with the way some of these movement games have been popular, the industry will keep making games that can be used in a beneficial way."
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