Sore fingers and hands?

[0078265317]

After play my classic editions and other games for hours my hands, wrists, and fingers get super tired and achy. As I am sure yours do too. So rest of course. But what else does everyone here to to relax those stiff achy hands and fingers?

 

I like the hot tub at the gym. The heat helps a little. Ice helps too sometimes.

[BackInTimeSime]

Used to love playing Pitstop 2 on the Commodore 64, the pain though was unreal... only fix was more pain!!

[Reaperman]

As a survivor who used an Epyx 500xj, with its legendarily crippling ergonomics, exclusively for over half a decade, the solution is to use it more. Build up the calluses, learn the minimum pressure the controls actually need for actuation, and in the case of the 500xj specifically, learn to switch-hit with the other hand. Using high quality controllers which provide proper tactile feedback will help--something that lets the user know when their input is received. If it's mushy, rebuild it. Microswitches are ideal, since their feedback is often auditory in nature as well.

 

That said, when I'm on an unfamiliar control setup, I have an icy drink of some kind with me. This drink isn't exclusively for drinking, it's for icing the web between my thumb and the rest of my hand. Last weekend, the wife forced me to go to some bar to see a show, but luckily they had one of those fake Ms. Pacman/galaga cocktail cabs. Even with switch-hitting, I had to ice 'righty' who isn't used to balltops like 'lefty' is. Yes, I was using way too much pressure, and was riding the gate, but we all use too much pressure on unfamiliar setups.

Edited July 8, 2018 by Reaperman

[+Black_Tiger]

My handa and fingers get sore or tired if I haven't been playing classic games regularly like I used to bitd. Unfortunately, this is most of the time now. But my hands still get broken in during those busy play stretches, so it's not just aging for me.

[digdugnate]

with me, i think its largely arthritis and aging. usually i end up having to stop (much to my dismay) ultimately, but if i rub my the tops of my hands a lot of time that helps.

 

the other thing i've done is purchase an NES-style gamepad for my 2600- if a game is just cramping the heck out of my hands i'll switch to the gamepad for a bit and it actually helps me.

[+save2600]

Used to love playing Pitstop 2 on the Commodore 64, the pain though was unreal... only fix was more pain!!

Like learning guitar... ouch!

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Interesting timing posting this, since I was actually pondering making a topic on a pretty similar subject earlier today. This year I started developing rheumatoid arthritis in my elbows, wrists, and finger joints and it's rapidly becoming more and more difficult to play a lot of the game systems I like.

 

My favorite home console for a long while has been the Wii, but waggling the Wii remote around is suddenly becoming a less than comfortable experience; and the same goes for playing all the light gun games I like on a variety of systems. Trying to play games on a handheld like my Game Boy Color or New 3DS XL isn't so comfy anymore either.

 

On the plus side I do have good days and bad days, so on the good days I play lots of games and on the bad days when my joints really hurt I just try to find other ways to pass the time. I've also found that even when I am having a bad day I can still play GameCube games, because the ergonomics of the GameCube controller just fit my hands so perfectly that it never strains my wrists or makes my joint pain any worse.

 

I'm still pretty new to dealing with this whole joint pain thing, but so far my best advice would be to take days off from gaming when your joints aren't doing so good and try to find a controller that works for you ergonomically.

Edited July 8, 2018 by Jin

[digdugnate]

Interesting timing posting this, since I was actually pondering making a topic on a pretty similar subject earlier today. This year I started developing rheumatoid arthritis in my elbows, wrists, and finger joints and it's rapidly becoming more and more difficult to play a lot of the game systems I like.

 

My favorite home console for a long while has been the Wii, but waggling the Wii remote around is suddenly becoming a less than comfortable experience; and the same goes for playing all the light gun games I like on a variety of systems. Trying to play games on a handheld like my Game Boy Color or New 3DS XL isn't so comfy anymore either.

 

On the plus side I do have good days and bad days, so on the good days I play lots of games and on the bad days when my joints really hurt I just try to find other ways to pass the time. I've also found that even when I am having a bad day I can still play GameCube games, because the ergonomics of the GameCube controller just fit my hands so perfectly that it never strains my wrists or makes my joint pain any worse.

 

I'm still pretty new to dealing with this whole joint pain thing, but so far my best advice would be to take days off from gaming when your joints aren't doing so good and try to find a controller that works for you ergonomically.

my wife i understand your pain (in some ways, unfortunately)- she has degenerative disc disease, fibro, and arthritis so a lot of days are super hard for her.

 

some days she prefers to game at her PC (which i always make sure hers is the better of the two), some days she prefers her 3DS, some days she prefers the XBox and the couch- we just try to make a lot of options open to help her when she's having a bad pain day.

[80s_Atari_Guy]

Here in the UK, we have pills that are great for Arthritis. Methotrexate. My arthritis started about 2 years ago, and until this Methotrexate prescription came up, I was often in agony after a few hours using a gamepad. I'm now on 6 tablets a week, followed by Frolic Acid tablets a few days later, the difference is amazing.

[zylon]

In my case, repetitive motion associated with my job makes my controller choices for me. A regular cx-40 style stick or any with vertically mounted fire buttons will cause cramping and numbness. Conversely, some of the controllers derided by others are perfect for me such as 5200 or 7800 sticks with buttons on the sides. I've used heavy duty pliers bending fence wire for over 23yrs and using side buttons is the same motion for me. My Tandyvision is also a good choice, but the disc can cramp me if I'm not careful.

The hidden upside, is that 7800 sticks are hated by so many, I hoarded a bunch of NOS ones quite cheaply some time ago.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Frolic Acid tablets a few days later, the difference is amazing.

 

If I was taking frolic acid a few times a week I'm pretty sure I'd feel amazing and forget about my joint pain too.

[FireStar]

There's a lot of info out there now about stretches and routines related to repetitive stress injury and the like due to the rise of competitive gaming, although a lot of it is meant for keyboard and mouse users.

 

This is one I've seen that I've liked, meant for Gamecube controller using Super Smash. Bros players but I think it's pretty applicable

Edited July 9, 2018 by FireStar

[TeddyBear89]

I think about this issue from time to time (I'm 47) and wonder how I'll feel if I live to be a ripe old age where the discomfort from gaming wins out and forces me to quit. For this reason I keep a few simulator games packed away (Space Shuttle for the 2600, Red Storm Rising and Apollo 18 for the C-64) so if the time comes I'll still be able to partake in classic gaming. These type of games don't require constant joystick movement or button pushing, right?

 

Plus I'll assume that I'd be retired by then and actually have the TIME to read the manuals - have you seen how thick the Space Shuttle and Red Storm Rising manuals are?

[derFunkenstein]

I read a lot about stretches when I started learning guitar, and I've found that it helps when gaming, too. Proper stretching is good for you. And like Jin says, taking a day off when your joints hurt is the most reasonable solution.

[Tanooki]

That video is pretty nice, but that woman either has done crazy stretched for years or is double jointed as a hand and fingers should not bend backwards like that so far. It almost hurts watching her fingers make a 90 degree pull back parallel to the forearm.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Tanooki

[Gamemoose]

I haven't watched the video but if you do deep stretches for a long period of time (years) you get pretty flexible. Miranda Esmond-Whiteof "Classical Stretch" fame on PBS teaches her technique each day with different stretch exercises. According to Wiki she's 69 though you coukdn't tell she was past her mid 50's. My wife does these exercises and she says she's as flexible as she was when she was a cheerleader in high school.

 

Me, the only issues I have game playing is my left thumb has some arthritis in it. I have to move it to pop it loose in the morning and remember to keep doing some sort of rotation on it throughout the day. However I can't just sit and play for the times I usex to-i get too stiff and my rear aches.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

There's a lot of info out there now about stretches and routines related to repetitive stress injury and the like due to the rise of competitive gaming, although a lot of it is meant for keyboard and mouse users.This is one I've seen that I've liked, meant for Gamecube controller using Super Smash. Bros players but I think it's pretty applicable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNoDWrVTZPk

That was a very helpful video! I was feeling pretty sore today but I tried doing the warm up stretches in the video and most of the pain went away afterwards, then I was able to play for about 3 hours before the soreness came back.

[youxia]

Putting the Age in Atari Age ....this thread is the perfect proof that I've finally joined a forum where I can feel I'm among my peers.

 

Have had some sort of arthritis for a few years now....few joints in hands affected, mostly thumbs. It's not so bad yet as to affect my gamepad-clutching abilities, though I've struggled playing Renegade recently, where you have to spam lots of double-button attacks.

 

Here's hoping they'll develop some neural-style interface soon...

 

[Eltigro]

Haven't had any issues like the arthritis or pain yet. Guess I'm lucky... or maybe I need to play more?

 

Anyway, I have had issue with just the opposite... numbness. If I sit a certain way (or lay a certain way in the case of handhelds) then I start getting numbness in my hands. It starts on the pinkies then slowly spreads toward the the thumbs. I just pause and set the controller down for a minute and stretch my arms out and work my hands for a bit and it goes away. But that's it. Maybe I'm lucky?