Northside Hospital launched a program to study and prevent orthopedic injuries in e-sports gamers, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Four insights:
1. Northside Hospital's sports medicine chief Vonda Wright, MD, created the program after noticing professional gamers are prone to back strain and tendonitis, injuries typically treated by orthopedic surgeons.
2. The Atlanta-based hospital formed a partnership with e-sports league operator Skillshot Media to manage players' physical health and lower the risk of gaming-related injuries.
3. About 45 players from Skillshot Media leagues are participating in the free program, which involves hand and wrist stretches, reaction drills, and core-strength exercises, as well as nutrition education to gradually improve gamers' cardiovascular health.
4. Dr. Wright hopes the program will help gamers extend their careers beyond the average of five years. She plans to publish research on her findings by the end of the year.