As a couple of u know I've been having some problems with my hands :s

Ive had a pain in my main mouse-finger for a while and more recently discovered a weird, half-pea sized nobble at the base of it- and now a very sore one midway on my thumb. My index finger also goes white and numb in the cold :s I've just been to my docs and am having some blood tests for Rhumetiod arthiritis, which runs im my family, but it has shaken me up and made me think about the way I play and position myself for long periods; as i clearly have callouses on my wrist from prolonged gaming with no mouse-mat or breaks (14 hour+ days on WoW cant have helped).

I just wanted to make a point that u should always take breaks, try to get a comfortable mouse (my basic microsoft mouse needs to be replaced) and when u can use a wrist supporting mousemat. Not to mention that u should be sitting straight in a comfortable chair- I know I dont! Ive read a number of 'safe' gaming guides of late and didnt really take them seriously- but now something may be threatening my ability to game I can't stress how important all this is. Not gaming would be the end of me!
I know that PCGamer had a great article on seat positioning and the basics of healthy gaming. With the extended peroids people are playing MMORPG's and indeed shooters it is really something everyone should be thinking about.

It may be I am just a 27-yr old arthiritic... but please have a think, sit up straight, and stop resting that wrist on the table! You'll thank me in the end!

Well you got me in to these roms so i thank you for that.
I know the felling i have a problem with my pinky as well and that'll prob come back to long on guitar hero or something...

Something like GH or Wii games i imagine would help vary the movement in ur hands a bit so good going. Its just repeated movements with no support and for a long period of time that has caused a problem for me i think...

About 20hrs of my finger bent under the neck of it. You tell me >.>

Make sure your wrist is straight - arm in same level as the hand on the mouse. And always rest your fingers on the mouse when not clicking on something - suspending them in the air causes strain etc. (I was made aware that the majority of people apparently suspend their fingers - it's bad, don't do it!)

It can also be recommended to play games with low sensitivity - the bigger movements the better, as its the small repetitive movements that causes the problems.

And of course get a good gaming mouse, as they are made for prolonged use (Ergonomic) and has less resistance which probably also helps remove some strain. A good mouse pad helps too Just a personal theory, but how can it be that gamers get less injury than people working with mice in offices - could it be that offices usually have crappy mouses? I have no base for this, it's pure speculation - and 99% of the statistics on the Internet is made up on the spot... etc. xD

(And i seriously gotta straighten my wrist too - my problem is that my table is too high, my chair has armrests and i got generally ergonomic computer controllers)

I've got a mouse mat that has a gel rest on the bottom so you can sit your wrist there.

Certainly more comfortable, but sometimes gets in the way when pulling the mouse down.

Lol i remember in the 90's some chick tried to sue Nintendo when she got 'Nintendo thumb' from over-using her game-boy! Cheeky bitch.
I think most normal people will stop playing when they experience serious discomfort, or at least do something about their posture etc- but there will always be a few of us who dont listen and try and break the pain barrier:) As for office injuries- i guess they have less opportunities for breaks than the average gamer (if they are working hard!).

The more I look into things online the more hand problems I find related to over-gaming. My lump may well be a 'ganglian' cyst or 'trigger finger' and I dont know about the thumb. Numbness is a warning sign for Carpal tunnel so i am taking a few measures- buying a new chair, mouse and desk for a start! Also learning to mouse with my left hand so I can mix it up a bit. But most importantly keeping my wrist straight and fingers stress-free for a few days- which ofc means no games

Anyway I can still type (just about) and I'll be on steam to chat. 'Sit up straight' is indeed one of the most patronising things u can be told to do.. but do it anyway!

excellent topic, which i do think is very important (im pretty sure i have some symptomps of RSI having a bit of a lump forming on my wrist when i bend it down 90 degrees. a friend had it, it's caused by build up of fluids).

two things that might interest you guys:

This one is extremely important for those WoW players out there. a friend of mine uses it cause of (as you mention) the 14+ hour days you spend there. Admitedlly not so usefull for FPS, but you can always swap them or use a usb hub with two.
http://www.backinaction.co.uk/evoluent-vertical-mouse

the next one is something im hoping to get for xmas from my parents:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Razer-eXactMat- ... 15-9094222

would appreciate if anyone has used this for reviews, but i figure how bad can it be? I like the large surface and if i dont like the wrist pad i can always remove it. seems like a good investment though as i dont really see myself ever needing to buy one again.

Looks like a good pad to me. Ive seen alot reviewed recently ad just wish I had the space for a more rigid pad. Atm ive gone back to using my old CRT over my bog-standard TFT as i get a free 'anti-aliasing' effect from that when it blurs the edges slightly. Also i have a cheap TFT, so even at its max res (1280x1024- same as the CRT) with AA up full lines seem a little too jagged and I often get screen tearing, esp on the new machine.

Can anyone reccomend the most comfortable and ergonomic mice? people have reccomended things from the G5 to the Razer range... I have a habit of crunching my fingers as I click so am looking for a mouse that will help counter this.

one thing to say in favor of the tft (even if it is cheap) is that it doesn't flicker like a crt does which makes it much much better for your eyes.

what do you mean crunching?