‘Wii’ causes some to say ‘Ouch’

It’s all fun and games until someone pulls a back muscle.Nintendo’s Wii has been flying off the shelves since its release in 2006. It’s become the top selling modern game console with its popularity reaching veteran and first-time gamers, young and old. But, it’s also becoming a common cause for recent visits to the chiropractor.According to the Massachusetts Chiropractic Society, offices across the state are seeing a rise in patients seeking medical attention for Wii-related injuries.”I have seen a few patients within the last few weeks in my office, both kids and adults, with injuries from overuse of the Wii sport games,” said Dr. Scott Darragh of Bay State Family Chiropractic in Melrose.It may seem laughable, but according to Darragh, it’s not uncommon.”While Wii does encourage people to become more active, any activity that is done for long periods of time without proper warm up and cool down can lead to injuries,” he said.Lynnfield chiropractor Dr. Peter Martone of Martone Chiropractic & Wellness Center said he knows first hand just how intense and physically demanding a game of Wii can be.”When I’m playing the boxing (game) against a 12-year-old, he’s going nuts,” he quipped. “I can’t be beat by a 12-year-old, so I’m punching, and punching, and punching. You can really get into it.”Martone and Darragh said that people don’t often realize that playing a video game like Wii is rather similar to the real sport, whether it’s bowling, boxing, tennis, baseball, or golf, which opens the door to similar injuries.”The games actually mimic the action of sports, and people tend not to warm up or stretch,” said Darragh.”People should be educated that even though they’re punching into mid-air, it could still cause some problems,” said Martone.The majority of injuries, aside from remote-related accidents, are sprains or strains, said Martone. Patients typically complain of lower back pain, neck aches, or strained shoulders. And, many are repeat offenders that fall into the 28-40 year-old age range.”Yeah, they’re embarrassed,” laughed Martone, who even admits that he gets a chuckle out of it.Since Christmas, more specifically through the month of January alone, Martone said he’s seen about 10-15 individuals with Wii-related injuries. His advice? Warm up and avoid playing in the morning.According to Martone, people are 200 times more likely to injure themselves in the morning than during any other time of the day. When people are asleep, their joints hydrate themselves, causing them to swell. It’s best to wait until the swelling goes down, or warm up before starting any sort of exercise, he said.”It seems weird to stretch before a video game, but you should really move around and get the muscles moving before you start playing,” he said.If you do find yourself hurt after a good game of tennis or the like, Martone recommends icing the area. He said often times, people aren’t sure what they’ve injured, so when in doubt, use ice. Adding heat can sometimes make it worse, depending on the ailment.”Pain is a gift that no one wants,” he said. “It tells you when there’s a problem.”Martone suggests people go see a doctor or chiropractor when the injury involves the spine, lower back, or neck and especially if there is any numbness or the pain travels. If it’s a sprain or a strain, your body will usually take care of itself.So, no need to stop playing; just play smarter.