Vibrating Game Controls May Cause Injury

Feb. 1 -- Video gamers risk more than virtual injury when they play for prolonged periods — the extended use of vibrating game controls could put them at risk for the same injury experienced by operators of power tools like jackhammers.

A letter published in this week's British Medical Journal describes the case of a 15-year-old British boy who developed what is known as hand-arm vibration syndrome, or HAVS, from the vibration feature on his video game control. Many newer hand held game controls have this feature, which vibrates or "rumbles" in concert with events on the screen, creating a more realistic effect.

Prior to the report, HAVS was recognized only as an occupational hazard more commonly seen in people exposed to excessive levels of vibration from operating hand held power tools such as chain saws or jackhammers.

The syndrome results from the destruction of the small vessels that supply blood to the hand. Symptoms include poor circulation, numbness, and increased sensitivity to heat and cold.

Game Over?

The researchers state that the boy in the current report played video games for up to seven hours a day. While they acknowledge that this exceeds the manufacturer's recommendations, they also note that it is not an unusual occurrence.

According to the Minneapolis, Minn., based National Institute on Media and the Family, a non-profit organization conducting ongoing research on the effects of the electronic media on children, 84 percent of teens play electronic games and the average teen plays for one hour at a sitting. The average for boys alone nears 1 1/2 hours.

"I don't know that there is a clear algorithm for what safe limits of usage are," says Dr. Michael Rich, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital in Boston, Mass., who has studied the effects of media on child and adolescent health and behavior. "I haven't seen anything like that and I would bet that no one has done the research."

The authors of the current paper would like to see the game systems come with warnings stating that developing HAVS is a risk associated with play. Other doctors are concerned about the strength of the vibrations to begin with.