When we play a competitive video game such as Counter-Strike, we often end up spending several hours a day on it. Some of us spend so much time they start feeling pain in their fingers or wrists.

Moreover, now that work has become so digitalized, it is more and more usual to work 35 hours per week in front of a screen. Accumulated to the hours we spend on the game, this could cause different symptoms, some of them irreversible.

Some professional players have already experienced this effect, such as olofmeister, GuardiaN or pronax.

We know that playing intensively on a computer can lead to health issues, such as visual strain or musculoskeletal disorders. However, you can prevent these problems by adjusting the height of your desk and chair, the placement of your devices, etc.

But there’s something you need to know: there is no perfect solution to avoid these issues. Indeed, these problems usually occur because of the time we spend in front of a screen, no matter our layout. Moreover, each individual reacts differently to physical restraint and has his/her own hardware.

This article will give general cases that will allow you to find the “less uncomfortable” position, and thus reduce the probability to be affected by these problems.

What are the risks for the players ?

Intensive use of a computer may lead to :

- Musculoskeletal disorders caused by a static posture for several hours straight. These problems are mainly located around the back of the neck, the shoulders, and the lumbar region. Different sore spots may appear in the short or long term.

- Musculoskeletal disorders caused by the mouse and keyboard, that exert a torsional stress on the wrists. Here again, pain may appear in the short or long term.

- A visual strain characterized by headaches, tingling, redness and pain on the eyeballs, and dry eyes caused by a heavy use of computer screens. This strain may intensify because of the lack of ergonomic comfort of your desktop (screen reflection, bad posture, long period of exposure…).

How to prevent musculoskeletal disorders ?

These different disorders result from the positioning in front of the screen, and the prolonged use of a mouse and keyboard. The goal is to adjust your desk in the best possible way to obtain a more comfortable posture. These settings, different for everyone, have to be done in this precise order.

It is strongly advised to install yourself on a flat desk, while avoiding cumbersome furniture or drawers for the leg space. Under desk keyboard trays should be avoided. Mouse and keyboard must be on the same level.

__________ 1 __________

Adjusting your chair’s height :

> Respect a 90° angle between the arm and the forearm

> The wrist must be in direct extension of the forearms

> The thighs must be parallel to the floor.                  

If the armrest cannot reach high enough, take them off.

__________ 2 __________

Adjusting your monitor’s height :

> The top of the monitor must be at eye’s level (if you wear corrective glasses, you must reduce this height by approximately 15cm (6")

> Distance of 50cm from the eyes (20")

> Screen slightly tilted towards the ceiling.

__________ 3 __________

Positioning your mouse and keyboard :

The goal here is to allow support of the forearms on the desk, in order not to twist the wrists.

Keyboard with about a 15° angle, in order to give the hand a natural position

Bottom of the keyboard between 15 and 30cm from the edge of the desk depending on the player (6 & 12")

Remove the brackets under the keyboard, in order to set it down flat, and avoid twisting the wrists

Mouse between 20 and 30cm from the edge of the desk (8 & 12") But no more than 40cm, in order to avoid extending your arm (16").

 

Nowadays, you can find vertical mice that remove the torsional stress of your wrist. However, this equiment does not allow to play a shooting game accurately, but it can be useful to rest the wrists when doing work or surfing the web for example.

Some players use a laptop, in which case the recommendations still stand. You must use a monitor stand, and add an external keyboard.

And what about the eyes ?

Studies on that subject are clear: a monitor does not induce optical pathologies, but plays a revealing role. That way, if an individual is prone to developing some vision problems in the future, then an intensive exposition to a screen could accelerate their appearance.

On the short term, the use of a screen reduces blinking, and prevents a good lubrication of the eyes. The symptoms ensuing are tingling, burns, poor accommodation, headaches. All these symptoms disappear with some rest.

Moreover, the french National Agency for Sanitary Safety (ANSES) gathers many studies observing that using screens at night disturbs the sleep cycle and postpones the moment we fall asleep, mainly because of the "blue light" effect.

During the day as well as the night, it is necessary to favor a homogenous lighting on the ceiling, above the monitor.

It is important to avoid reflections and glares :

> Position your screen perpendicular to the windows

> Favor a matt display to avoid reflection

> Adapt the screen luminosity (high during the day, low in the evening)

> Never play in the dark.

Lastly, you must give your eyes some rest. Take a few regular breaks, move your eyes away from the screen for a few minutes, and stare at an object in the distance, to stimulate the eye’s accommodation.

Did VaKarM just save me?

Not quite. Be it for play or work, it is essential to understand that each body reacts differently to the intensive use of a computer. 
The general recommendations introduced in this article will only allow to reduce the likehood of being affected by these pathologies.

For any question about health problems, you are strongly advised to consult a doctor. 

Thanks to Fa' for her illustrations
Thanks to Miles and SPK for the translation.