Gaming and esports is growing, with professional tournaments, college scholarships and high school teams. Now, some of these esports athletes can get specialized medical care to keep them sharp and healthy.
“When I first started talking about gamers as athletes, I got some strange looks,” sports medicine doctor Vonda Wright said.
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Wright is originally from the Pittsburgh area. Now, she is at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, where she started a new program just for gamers.
“They get neck pain, shoulder pain. They get tendonitis on the palm side of their hands,” Wright said.
Gamers can also get back pain and eye strain.
Athletic training sessions are part of the new program. Wright said it's to predict and prevent injuries.
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Gamers like Chris Sonet, who goes by the name “Pow Tech,” believe being active outside game rooms makes him better.
“Physical fitness is mandatory when you’re playing video games -- good for mental health, good for physical health,” Sonet said.
Doctors and trainers also want to measure mental stamina to figure out how to help players stay sharp and at the top of their game.