Wii-itis

Reported October 01, 2009

ROCHESTER, Minn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It's happening around TV sets in more than 10 million households across the U.S. An interactive video game is connecting grandparents with their grandchildren and providing a great workout. But is there such a thing as too much Wii?

Move over Monopoly. Many family game nights are now interactive. For the young -- or just young at heart -- Wii is the workout happening in living rooms across the country.

Noel Blair got hooked on bowling.

"Almost daily, I was doing it game after game after game, and then you lose track of how many games you played," Blair told Ivanhoe.

She pulled the muscle that sits over her sciatic nerve.

"I went to get out of bed, and I had the worst pain," Blair said.

It's not your typical sports strain. Orthopedic specialists call it "Wii-itis."

"It sort of sparked a whole other type of injury that we've actually never even seen before," John Sperling, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., told Ivanhoe.

It's an injury that made its way into the New England Journal of Medicine. Doctors in Britain say up to 10 people are hospitalized each week with Wii-itis.

"For most people, maybe they would play an hour of tennis and stop after that, but with the Wii, there's an unlimited amount of time you can play, and there's really not the same feedback of getting tired playing a sport," Dr. Sperling explained to Ivanhoe.

In normal sports, the force of impact slows the arm. With Wii, no ball means no force, and swinging through air causes strain.

"In this, there's nothing really to resist that force," Dr. Sperling said.

Doctors say don't blame the game; just don't overdo it. A simple flick of the wrist is enough to bowl a strike or return a serve. 30 minutes should get in a good workout without causing pain. Make sure to warm up and take breaks, even if you don't think you're tired.

After physical therapy, Blair is back in the game. Only now, she hits her strikes sitting down.

There are health and safety warnings that pop up during many of the Wii games. Doctors say the most common injuries are to the elbows, knees, back and forearms.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dana Sparks
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Sparks.dana@mayo.edu