How To Reduce and Treat Arm, Wrist, and Hand Pain While Gaming
Playing video games can be fun, but repetitive motions and hand positioning can lead to a myriad of negative health effects. While it may sound ridiculous, most gamers have experienced pain in their hand, wrist, or arm at some point. Reducing and treating arm, wrist, and hand pain when gaming requires identifying the cause. It is also possible to experience discomfort and even sustain injuries from gaming for long periods of time. However, this does not mean you have to give up gaming and we will explain how to reduce and treat arm, wrist, and hand pain while gaming.
The causes of hand pain when gaming are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis, Gamer’s Thumb, and Tennis Elbow. To alleviate pain from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, wear a wrist brace, try nerve gliding exercises, and take NSAIDs. To treat tennis elbow, use anti-inflammatory topical creams, change gaming activities, or have steroid injections if recommended by a doctor. To treat a gamer’s thumb, try treatment exercises or wear a thumb brace, and to reduce the symptoms of tendonitis use a gaming wrist brace. Also look for an ergonomic keyboard to ease wrist pain while gaming, as a preventative measure.
Ensuring maximum comfort when gaming will not only reduce the chances of common gaming-related injuries but will also allow you to play for longer without causing strain to your hand, wrist, and neck muscles. This article will cover general information about common arm, wrist, and hand injuries in gamers and some quick and easy tips to treat them.
Is It Normal for Gamers To Have Arm, Wrist, and Hand Pain?
If you have some gamer friends, you have probably heard of how annoying hand wrist, and arm pain can be while gaming. And if you are a gamer yourself, you have most likely already experienced these issues so you will know that this should be addressed.
It is normal for gamers to have hand, wrist, and arm pain because of similar or repetitive actions while gaming. Gamers also sit for long periods in the same position with their wrist bent in positions that are not ideal.
As a matter of fact, doing any gaming activity for an extended period of time can lead to muscle strain, causing discomfort in hands, wrists, or arms. Although there is no need to freak out if you ever experience pain in these parts of the body during gaming sessions, you should still do your best to avoid it in the first place or treat it.
What Causes Arm, Wrist, and Hand Pain From Keyboard Gaming?
Many Esports players or gamers that spend hours playing computer games on a daily basis often experience pain in different parts of the body. In fact, arm, wrist, thumb, and elbow injuries are among the most common injuries from keyboard gaming.
Wrist pain from keyboard gaming can be caused by a variety of injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, gamer’s thumb, and tennis elbow.
If you are experiencing discomfort while gaming it could be for the following reasons:
Reason 1. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Wrist injuries from keyboard gaming may lead to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that occurs when too much pressure is put on the median nerve, making it squeeze at the wrist which is explained in this article from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Some common Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms that gamers experience include pain, burning, tingling, itching, numbness, and weakness in the hand.
Reason 2. Tendonitis
Tendonitis (or tendinitis) refers to inflammation or irritation of a tendon. This condition is common in gamers who tend to injure their arms, forearms, shoulders, elbows, and wrists due to overusing their hands during keyboard gaming. The symptoms of tendonitis experienced during and after gaming include pain around the area of a tendon, difficulty moving the joints, a stiff clicking sensation as you move the hand, swelling, and redness.
Reason 3. Gamer’s Thumb or Wrist
Gamer’s thumb or gamer’s wrist are the nicknames for de Quervain’s syndrome which is described in this video tutorial by Princeton Spine and Joint Center, a condition described as tenosynovitis of the first compartment of the wrist. Just like other gaming injuries, a gamer’s thumb is affected by repetitive movements and stress that lead to inflammation or irritation of the tendons and the tendon sheaths. Some common gamer’s thumb symptoms include pain and swelling at the base of the thumb, difficulty flexing the wrist, and discomfort when pinching, gripping, and making a fist.
Reason 4. Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow refers to inflammation or irritation of the tendons of the elbow. In medical terms, tennis elbow is known as lateral epicondylitis. This condition is often caused by overuse of the muscles of the forearm due to repetitive movements during keyboard gaming. When the tendons in the elbow are overloaded, gamers may experience symptoms, such as mild discomfort, severe pain, and tenderness around the outside of the elbow.
At this point, you might find interest in learning what the best gaming keyboard layout is in order to help prevent some of these ailments.
Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Although carpal tunnel syndrome may cause mild hand pain, the symptoms could worsen gradually. Therefore, it is essential to get a proper diagnosis from a healthcare professional and start a treatment plan. This will allow you to slow down or even stop the progression of symptoms.
To treat carpal tunnel syndrome, brace or splint the wrist, change your wrist position during repetitive activities, spend less time gaming, practice nerve gliding exercises, take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or inject steroids. If nonsurgical treatment methods do not relieve the symptoms, a doctor or therapist may recommend surgical treatment.
If you experience mild pain in your wrist, you should consider wearing a brace like this or a brace and splint like this, during the day and at night, to relieve pain by keeping your wrist in a straight position. Another way to treat carpal tunnel syndrome is by making changes to your gaming activities that cause or aggravate symptoms. You should also consider spending less time playing computer games to relieve pain in your wrist.
A therapist can recommend some nerve gliding exercises that reduce pressure on the median nerve, allowing it to move freely. This article by Wilson et al shares some of the best exercises to treat the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
If the tips described above do not relieve pain, consider taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or steroid injections, but make sure you consult a healthcare professional before doing so. For additional information on how to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, check this article on OrthoInfo.
Treatment for Tendonitis From Gaming
For gamers, tendonitis often occurs in the wrist, forearm, and thumb causing hand pain. The symptoms include pain, stiffness, swelling, numbness, tingling, and loss of flexibility. Luckily, you can take some steps at home to ease the symptoms of tendonitis.
To treat tendonitis from gaming, begin by using ice on the affected part of the body, avoid overusing the muscles, take over-the-counter medicines for pain relief, and wear a brace.
If using ice, resting, and taking pain medication don’t alleviate your tendonitis symptoms, consider consulting with a healthcare professional to receive further guidance and an individualized treatment plan. This article by Dr. Miller on eMediHealth shares some useful lifestyle and home remedies to treat tendonitis.
Summary of Products Needed To Treat Tendonitis
| Item | Why you need it | Example From Amazon | Price |
| Wrist Brace | To keep your wrist in a straight position and put less pressure on the tendons. | Night Wrist Sleep Support Brace - Fits Both Hands | ~ $20 |
| Painkillers | To reduce pain and tingling. | Amazon Basic Care Pain Relief Geltabs | ~ $10 |
| Anti-Inflammatory Topical Cream | To ease pain and reduce stiffness. | Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel For Powerful Topical Arthritis Pain Relief | ~ $20 |
Following these steps could help to relieve symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome:
Step 1. RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation
RICE is an acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For any injury that involves a sprain, pain, or swelling, doctors recommend giving yourself some rest to protect the injured area and promote healing. And tendonitis from gaming is no exception. You should put some ice on the injured area immediately to relieve the pain.
After that, you can wrap the injured area with an elastic bandage like this or use a brace to fix your arm or wrist in a straight position. This will gradually make your tendonitis symptoms less severe. Resting your hand on a pillow to elevate it slightly will also relieve some pain and tension.
Step 2. Avoid Overusing Your Hand
While a pack of ice and a wrist splint like this can ease your tendonitis symptoms, it is not enough to treat the condition. Ideally, you should avoid overusing your hand, meaning you may have to spend less time gaming. Even if you are playing at a competitive level, your health should be your number one priority. So, remember that failing to treat your tendonitis from the beginning may worsen your symptoms and lead to severe pain.
Step 3. Take Over-the-Counter Medicines
If wearing a brace or reducing gaming activities does not relieve your tendonitis symptoms, you may want to take over-the-counter drugs for pain and swelling. According to this article by the Mayo Clinic, doctors may recommend the following medications: aspirin, ibuprofen, topical anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroids, and platelet-rich plasma treatment. For safety reasons, make sure to consult a healthcare professional before taking any listed medication.
Step 4. Consult a Therapist or a Doctor
If the home remedies discussed above do not ease the pain and other symptoms of tendonitis, you should consult with a therapist or a medical doctor to receive a treatment plan designed specifically for you.
Treatment for Gamer’s Thumb
Evidently, a gamer’s thumb is among the most common E0-sports injuries. As you cannot always prevent it from happening, you should consider selecting the right treatment to relieve pain and get back to gaming.
Treat a gamer’s thumb by first taking an ice pack and placing it onto the thumb. Then, consider taking pain relief medication or applying an anti-inflammatory topical cream to the injured area. Wear a splint when not playing to immobilize the thumb. Lastly, try treatment exercises to strengthen the muscles and prevent gamer’s thumb or other hand injuries during gaming.
This article by Texas Orthopedics shares some tips to prevent and treat gamer’s thumb.
Summary of Products Needed to Treat Gamer’s Thumb
| Item | Why you need it | Example From Amazon | Price |
| Instant Cold Packs | To relieve pain and reduce swelling. | Reusable Hot and Cold Gel Ice Packs for Injuries | Cold Compress, Ice Pack, Gel Ice Packs | ~ $20 |
| Painkillers or Anti-Inflammatory Creams | To ease more severe pain and reduce inflammation. | Boiron Arnicare Cream for Soothing Relief from Joint Pain, Muscle Pain, and Swelling | ~ $20 |
| Thumb Brace | To immobilize the thumb and let it recover. | Reversible Thumb Wrist Stabilizer Compression Splint for BlackBerry Thumb, Trigger Finger, Hand Pain Relief | ~ $10 |
These steps can be followed to treat gamer’s thumb:
Step 1. Use an Ice Pack or Pain Relief Medication
Right after injuring the thumb, you should place a pack of ice onto the injured area. This instant cold pack is ideal for relieving pain resulting from a gamer's thumb. If putting something cold on the injured area does not really ease the symptoms, you should consider taking pain relief medication, such as painkillers or anti-inflammatory topical creams. This will reduce swelling and relieve pain.
Step 2. Wear a Thumb Brace
If you are suffering from a gamer’s thumb, wearing a thumb splint when not playing can relieve some of your symptoms by immobilizing your thumb allowing the thumb to recover a lot faster.
Step 3. Try Therapeutic Exercises for Long-Term Results
While taking painkillers, using anti-inflammatory topicals, and wearing a thumb brace can relieve pain from a gamer’s thumb, these are just temporary solutions for the problem. To strengthen your muscles and avoid such injuries, you should try treatment exercises for a gamer’s thumb.
According to this article from Healthline, effective exercises for a gamer’s thumb (de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis) are thumb lifts, opposition stretches, Finkelstein stretches, thumb flexion, wrist flexion, wrist extension, and radial deviation strengthening.
How To Treat Tennis Elbow
Generally speaking, tennis elbow is a self-limiting condition, meaning that it will get better without any medication or treatment. According to the NHS, most people make a full recovery from tennis elbow within 12 months. However, there are some easy ways to relieve symptoms at home. This article on WebMD provides some pain management tips to take care of your tennis elbow from gaming.
To treat tennis elbow, use a cold compress, consider minimizing the amount of time you spend gaming, take painkillers or NSAIDs, refer to a therapist, think of getting steroid injections, and get surgery if the hand pain is severe.
Summary of Products Needed to Treat Tennis Elbow
| Medication or Treatment | Why you need it | Example From Amazon | Price |
| Cold Compress | To reduce pain and swelling. | Rester's Choice Gel Cold & Hot Packs | ~ $20 |
| Painkillers or NSAIDs | To temporarily ease tennis elbow symptoms. Can be purchased over the counter. | Amazon Basic Care Naproxen Sodium Tablets | ~ $20 |
Follow these steps to treat Tennis Elbow:
Step 1. Use a Cold Compress
Just like any other injuries from gaming, tennis elbow can also be treated by placing a cold compress on the injured area. It can be a pack of ice, an instant cold pack, or anything cold enough to ease pain and swelling. If you do not have any ice, you can also use a bag of frozen vegetables and wrap it in a towel.
Step 2. Take Painkillers or NSAIDs
After treating the injured area at home, you should consult a doctor and take painkillers or NAISDs if needed. If the area is inflamed, using a topical cream might be the best choice.
Step 3. Reduce the Intensity of Gaming Activities that Caused Tennis Elbow
Ideally, you should reduce the intensity or even stop doing gaming activities that caused the muscle and tendon strain that led to the tennis elbow. If you are playing on a competitive level and you cannot just give up gaming, consider modifying the activities or changing your gaming equipment instead.
For instance, if you have injured your left hand (the one you use the keyboard with), get a gaming mouse with lots of programmable buttons like this. By assigning different functions to the buttons on your gaming mouse, you can minimize the need for using the keyboard keys. Our article that explains how to choose a gaming mouse with lots of buttons has several tips that will help you select the right mouse for your needs.
Step 4. Consult With a Healthcare Professional
As an e-sports player, you may need a faster recovery from tennis elbow. If this is the case, you should refer to a therapist for personalized care and advice. Besides that, a doctor may recommend having steroid injections to speed up your recovery and make the benefits last for a couple of months.
If the pain from the tennis elbow is severe, you may need surgical treatment to remove the damaged part of the tendon and ease the painful symptoms.
Summary Of Ways To Treat Arm, Wrist, And Hand Injuries From Gaming
| Problem | Solution | Example |
| Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | Wear a brace or splint | Wrist Brace |
| Make changes in gaming activities | Spend less time gaming. | |
| Get professional advice | Nerve gliding exercises | |
| Take painkillers | Ibuprofen | |
| Apply nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory topical creams | Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel | |
| Tendonitis | Use a cold compress | Instant Cold Packs |
| Wear a wrist brace | Wrist Brace | |
| Take painkillers | Ibuprofen | |
| Use NSAID Topical Creams | Diclofenac Gel 1% | |
| Gamer’s Thumb or Wrist | Use a cold compress | Instant Cold Packs |
| Take painkillers | Ibuprofen | |
| Apply topical creams | Penetrex Roll-On Gel | |
| Wear a thumb brace | Amazon Thumb Brace | |
| Try gamer’s thumb treatment exercises for long-term results | Gamers thumb exercises | |
| Tennis Elbow | Reduce gaming intensity | Spend less time gaming |
| Take painkillers or anti-inflammatory topical creams | Ibuprofen or Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel | |
| Modifying your gaming activities by assigning more functions to your gaming mouse | Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse with 20 Programmable Buttons | |
| Steroid injections | Consult with a medical professional regarding steroid injections | |
| Surgical treatment when the pain is severe | A medical professional will be able to diagnose your injury properly and decide whether surgery is necessary |
How To Fix a Sore Wrist When Gaming
Wrist pain is often caused by consistent strain as gamers keep repeating the same wrist movements. By fixing a sore wrist, you can relieve pain and improve your overall in-game performance.
To fix a sore wrist when gaming, make sure the mouse is the right size, adopt an ideal posture, and create an ergonomic gaming setup. Remember to take breaks during long gaming sessions, and try doing some stretches before gaming to get the wrists limber.
These tips will help you to fix a sore wrist from gaming:
Tip 1. Make Sure Your Mouse Is the Right Size
Very often, beginners ignore the size of the mouse when shopping for one. The truth is that your mouse size determines how much stress you put on your wrist when gaming. Our article about how to find a gaming mouse for small hands explains what factors to consider when looking for a mouse that suits your small hand size.
This article by Logitech shares some tips to find the perfect mouse size for you. Getting an ergonomic mouse like this will help you maintain a horizontal hand and wrist posture, putting less strain on the muscles. Our article about tips to choose an ergonomic mouse explains the benefits of specific mouse designs and what features reduce hand and wrist fatigue during long hours of gaming.
Tip 2. Get a Wrist Rest for Your Keyboard
While gaming mice are typically characterized by an ergonomic design, not many gaming keyboards offer this feature. However, you can easily solve the issue by using an ergonomic wrist rest pad. Wrist rest pads are specifically designed to support your hands and wrists during gaming to prevent wrist or hand injuries.
Make sure to also read our related tips on how to choose a gaming keyboard for small hands. Our article may just give you the information you need to make a better decision.
Tip 3. Correct Your Posture by Creating an Ergonomic Desk Setup
Your posture is another reason why your wrists get sore during gaming. To ease the pain in your wrists, you should consider setting up your gaming station ergonomically. Ideally, you should adjust the armrests of your gaming chair so that your elbows are supported at a 90-degree angle when placing your hands on the mouse and the keyboard.
You should avoid having a gap between your desk and the chair. For detailed information on how to improve your gaming setup and make it more ergonomic, check out this YouTube video tutorial by Gaming Careers.
Tip 4. Take Breaks During Long Gaming Sessions
Whether you are a beginner or play computer games at a competitive level, it is crucial to prioritize your health. Therefore, you should always take breaks during long gaming sessions and let your body recover. By doing so, you can prevent putting excessive strain and stress on your muscles, which is key to avoiding common gaming injuries.
Tip 5. Try Some Wrist Stretches
While cold compresses, painkillers, and anti-inflammatory topical creams can relieve wrist pain, the effects are temporary. Therefore, you should think of stretching your wrists before, during, and after gaming to strengthen the muscles and reduce the risks of getting injured while playing.
What Should I Do If My Knuckles Hurt From Gaming?
Oftentimes, gamers experience knuckle pain and this is due to their knuckle joints being irritated from repetitive motions during gaming. Sometimes gamers can feel that their hands are cramping up when their hands are constantly crouched over a mouse.
If a gamer finds that their knuckles hurt from gaming, they should try improving muscle endurance by exercising and taking breaks during gaming. Maintaining proper gaming setup ergonomics and posture can also help alleviate knuckle pain. Creating macros on the gaming mouse makes repetitive tasks easier.
Adjusting your hand grip style can reduce hand and knuckle cramping. Check out our guide that explains how to choose the ideal gaming mouse grip type to learn more about the various hand positions so that you can be more comfortable while gaming.
These tips will help you to fix sore and cramping hands while gaming:
Tip 1. Improve Muscle Endurance by Exercising
One of the main causes of knuckle pain from gaming is your knuckles not having enough endurance to handle the repetitive motions or clicking during gaming sessions. To prevent your knuckles from hurting, you should strengthen your hand muscles by exercising them as shown in this YouTube video tutorial by Dr. Levi Harrison.
Tip 2. Take Breaks While Gaming
As a gamer, you should always try to maintain optimal gaming habits. Ideally, you should take at least 2 to 3-minute breaks per hour to let your body relax. To boost your in-game performance while strengthening your muscles, consider doing some stretching exercises when you rest.
Tip 3. Make Your Gaming Setup Ergonomic
The way you set up your gaming station influences the level of stress you put on different parts of your body. Usually, gamers experience knuckle pain due to their gaming setup lacking the correct ergonomics. To protect your muscles and joints, create an ergonomic gaming setup that will help you maintain the right posture while playing.
Tip 4. Create Macros for Your Gaming Mouse
Last but not least, assigning macros to the buttons of your gaming mouse like this one, will allow you to complete repetitive tasks with just a single press. This means that you will put less stress on your muscles while improving your reaction time. To create macros for your gaming mouse, check this detailed article by Microsoft.
Can Adjusting Your Gaming Keyboard Hand Position Alleviate Pain?
Your hand position while gaming is one of the main factors that can cause or relieve pain in your shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers. By improving your gaming keyboard hand position, you can alleviate pain and avoid severe gaming injuries.
Adjusting the gaming keyboard hand position can help to alleviate wrist pain. One hand should be positioned so that the fingers are on the WASD or QWER keys and the thumb is on the spacebar. Position the hands so that they are shoulder-width apart and the elbows are at the keyboard height or slightly higher.
As there are many different types of games (FPS, MOBAs, RPGs, etc.), there are no universal rules about placing your hand on the keyboard. You should adjust your hand positioning based on the keys you need to use while gaming. Our article about how many keys are on a keyboard takes a look at the various types of keyboards available and will help you to choose the right size keyboard to reduce hand and wrist pain.
You should always try to position your keyboard so that it is at your elbow height or a bit lower. This will prevent your wrist from bending and keep it relaxed while gaming. While getting an ergonomic gaming keyboard like this one is an option, you can also use wrist rest pads as a budget-friendly alternative.
What To Look For In a Gaming Wrist Brace
While there are several ways to relieve wrist pain from gaming, bracing or splinting your wrist is one of the most effective options. Although some wrist braces have been developed specifically for gamers, you can also use regular wrist splints as long as you follow some basic instructions when purchasing one.
When choosing a gaming wrist brace, choose a brace made of breathable materials to promote comfort, select a tight wrist brace that supports the hand in a neutral position while immobilizing it, and choose a splint that allows the fingers to move freely.
Follow these tips when choosing a gaming wrist brace:
Tip 1. Choose a Brace Made of Breathable Materials To Promote Comfort
Although wrist support is crucial, enabling blood flow to your hand and making sure that your skin can breathe is also important. For optimal comfort, you should select a wrist brace made of breathable materials like this one.
Tip 2. Select a Snug-Fitting Wrist Brace To Support and Immobilize Your Wrist In a Neutral Position
Another factor you should consider when searching for a wrist brace is the level of support you need. Ideally, the splint should be tight enough to immobilize your wrist and keep it in a straight position. If your wrist keeps moving, there is no point in wearing the brace. While all wrist braces are adjustable, you should ensure that the brace can be adjusted to the width of your wrist.
Tip 3. Choose a Wrist Splint That Allows Your Fingers To Move
If you experience pain in your wrist you should select a brace that provides enough support for your wrist but that allows your fingers to move freely. By doing so, you can wear the brace throughout the day without preventing you from completing normal daily tasks.
Tips To Find a Keyboard That Can Alleviate Hand Pain
If you experience hand pain from gaming, you should consider switching to a gaming keyboard that alleviates symptoms and prevents you from sustaining hand injuries while gaming.
To find a keyboard that can alleviate hand pain, look for one with an ergonomic design. A keyboard that is split in half will help ease hand pain because a gamer can easily position their hands shoulder-width apart.
Our article that compares a gaming keyboard vs. a regular keyboard explains why gaming keyboards are designed with gamers’ comfort and long-term durability in mind.
Consider these tips when looking for a keyboard that can alleviate hand pain:
Tip 1. To Alleviate Wrist Pain, Choose an Ergonomic Gaming Keyboard
Generally speaking, ergonomic gaming keyboards have been designed to promote comfort by allowing your wrists, arms, and hands to maintain a natural position. Most ergonomic gaming keyboards feature wrist rests like this one, making the overall gaming experience even more comfortable.
So, if you have ever experienced pain or stiffness in your wrist, investing in a gaming keyboard with an ergonomic design might be the right choice.
Tip 2. To Alleviate Arm and Elbow Pain, Choose a Keyboard With a Split Design
Incorrect posture and hand positioning while gaming can lead to arm and elbow pain. To avoid this, you should keep your arms shoulder-width apart while playing. As some keyboards are not the right width, you may not be able to maintain proper posture when gaming. If this is the case for you consider opting for a gaming keyboard that can be split in half.
Summary of Gaming Keyboards That Can Help To Reduce Hand Pain
| Type of Hand Pain | Suggested Keyboard | Example From Amazon | Price |
| Wrist Pain | Ergonomic Keyboard | Razer Ornata Chroma Gaming Keyboard with Detachable Plush Wrist Rest | ~ $60 |
| Wrist Pain | Ergonomic Keyboard | Logitech K350 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard | ~ $30 |
| Arm and Elbow Pain | Split-Designed Keyboard | Cloud Nine ErgoTkl Mechanical Split Keyboard | ~ $180 |
| Arm and Elbow Pain | Ergonomic Keyboard | Adesso Tru-Form Illuminated Ergonomic Keyboard | ~ $60 |