Nintendo thumb

Nintendo thumb, also known as gamer's thumb^[1] and similar names, is a form of repetitive strain injury (RSI) caused by excessive playing of video games with the traditional Nintendo controller.^[2] This injury mainly occurs due to repeated thumb movements while playing video games.^[3] The symptoms can include blistering, paraesthesia (a tingling or a burning feeling in the skin),^[4][5] as well as swelling of the thumbs, though any finger can be affected. This can lead to stress on tendons, nerves, and ligaments in the hands, and further onto lateral epicondylitis ("tennis elbow"), tendinitis (severe swelling of the tendon),^[6] bursitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sac around joints),^[7] and carpal tunnel syndrome (compression of the median nerve at the wrist).^[8] Similar injuries can occur with other gaming systems, such as PlayStation thumb from playing Sony PlayStation.^[3] The general recommendation for the treatment is to rest and stop the repetitive motion of the affected finger (usually the thumb). In more severe and painful cases, using NSAIDs is also recommended.^[2]

Other less localized injuries in the shoulder, knee, and Achilles tendon have also been noted to arise from playing the Nintendo Wii.^[9][10][11] Some of the symptoms can be associated with the De Quervain syndrome (degeneration of tendons that control the movement of the thumb).