Ergonomics is the examination of the working environment to improve efficiency of the player. Neck and back pain has been reported by up to 42% of players in recent studies. Pain presentation whether acute or chronic can impact a player's performance and their overall mobility and strength in surrounding postural muscles. Prolonged, impaired posture can lead to issues such as neck and low back pain. Ergonomics and Posture: Esports athletes are often sitting and in static postures for hours either training or in competitive play.Overview of Common Injuries and Conditions: This article covers common conditions esports athletes may experience and how physical therapy can help alongside a dedicated medical team. Physical therapy and rehabilitation can be an essential piece to that team to address injury prevention, symptom management, and performance considerations through emphasis on physical exercise, postural education and quality sleep and screen health. This emerging field requires a dedicated interdisciplinary team to ensure the health and wellness of esports athletes. Other concerns that can negatively impact players are the sedentary nature of the activity, symptoms relating to excessive screen use or poor sleep health and the ergonomics of their desk and PC station especially in relation to posture. The intensity of esports can lead to athletes developing musculoskeletal injuries that can affect their dexterity in addition to emotional or psycho-social factors. Teams spend countless hours practicing, developing strategy and reviewing footage in order to improve and compete at an elite level.
In the USA, esports players have been recognized as professional athletes since 2013 with universities across the country setting up varsity esports programs under the National Association of Collegiate Esports.Īs athletes, players are involved with games that involve high cognitive demand and functional integration often performing more keystrokes per minute than the average gamer. Professional leagues have sponsorships, training facilities and head coaches with the International Olympic Committee recognizing esports in 2017 with a speculative inclusion in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Emerging are professional and competitive gamers who are considered top-tier in their respective ranks and compete seasonally in teams for upwards of millions of dollars. Games such as League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant and DOTA 2 have a global popularity with millions of gamers playing daily. By Vincent Brinas, PT, DPT, Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care CenterĮlectronic competitive gaming (esports) is a popular form of sport involving electronic systems (PC or console) and a human-computer interface.
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