How to prevent video game pain

A local doctor is offering simple ways to prevent video game pain.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Levi Harrison says that in his practice, repetitive stress injuries due to too much gaming is on the rise.

In 2019, will Fortnite continue to be a cultural phenomenon connecting millions of players?

For now, it's one of the reasons kids are spending a large portion of their winter break on their home gaming system or the mobile device they got for Christmas.

"I'm a big video game lover, absolutely. From the Switch to League of Legends, Call of Duty, Fortnite," Harrison said.

Not only does he play games, but many of his patients include eSport athletes.

"Many of the professional gamers that I take care of will actually game 12 to 16 hours a day, five to six days a week," he said. "I see in my practice individuals who develop issues with their hands, their wrist, their shoulders, neck and back."

Harrison said gamers with this type of high-volume use can end up having more serious ailments from being too sedentary.

"Where they actually develop clots in their lungs or clots in their legs, you know, deep vein thrombosis, " he added.

The solution, especially for the amateur gamers, is no more than two to three hours of play per day and even less on school nights.

Harrison also recommends frequent timeouts where players stretch and do exercises to strengthen their wrist and hands.

A great physical activity incentive is learning new dances like the kind you find in games like Fortnite.

Harrison's advice is to encourage young gamers to celebrate between rounds with exercise breaks.

"If gaming can push people to be more active, then I'm all for it," he said.

To learn more about Harrison's exercises to prevent gaming pain, watch his video on YouTube.