Comments on: The Price You Pay for Being a Rock Star

By: ApocalypseNow

ApocalypseNow — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 06:35:26 +0000

Hi everyone. I have read all of your posts. I agree. Guitar Hero has given me a pain in the shoulder area that comes and goes. I think that the area of my problem is actually somewhere in the area between the base of the back of my neck and my left scapula. It’s not an exact point; it’s an area. I started playing guitar hero 3.5 years ago and played for 2 years until stopping. I think the guitar strap damaged my shoulder over time. I don’t know if it is damage to muscles or nerves that is causing me recurring pain. I played Guitar Hero 3, World Tour, and Metallica. I became good enough that I played expert mode all the time, making the game cause more damage to my body. I remember that the game immediately causing soreness in my left hand fingers and left arm. I think my right arm and hand were fine. I used to loved Guitar Hero, but now I hate it because of recurring pains in my left shoulder. I will never play that game again. The pains, numbness, or loss of sensation in my shoulder recur always when I am sitting for too long (i.e. while driving, seeing movies or plays, long family dinners). One problem is that I’ve been too nervous to get my shoulder checked by a doctor. I’ve told my parents that I’ve had this pain in my shoulder for several years whenever I feel it, but they haven’t taken the initiative to take me to a doctor. I’m finally getting my parents to take me to a doctor next week. Another problem with me is that I don’t work out, but want to start doing so! I heard above that working out can cause problems like this to go away. I’ve never been massaged in my life. By the way, my arms, hands, and fingers feel fine. Side note: my fingers are slightly bent from playing guitar hero and using video game controllers and computer mouses for computer games throughout my life. I am 18 years old now and am concerned enough about this detrimental effect of Guitar Hero to post it here. Thank you.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:02:17 +0000

Malsy, I have the same problem. My doctor hasn’t said for sure but I am convinced my shoulders are frozen because of Guitar Hero. The doctors seem to think that it will eventually go away with physical therapy but right now it is affecting BOTH shoulders. I would advise that you don’t play the game anymore AT ALL. I tried giving it a break for awhile and then going back to play it for like 30 minutes rather than 4 hours at a time but I can just tell after even that long that my shoulders are regressing. I am done with Guitar Hero for good now.

By: VikSchmalz

VikSchmalz — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:01:34 +0000

My name is Viktor von Schmalz. I have been playing Guitar Hero for about four years now, and recently I have developed a most worrying pain.
I am 17 years old [thus have been playing since age 13]. I am at a point in skill I scored five stars on Guitar Hero Smash Hits Through the Fire and Flames on Expert on December 29th, 2010. To any player this would be a feat, and to few of us a reality. However, I remembered the year before my aunt [who somewhat understands ergonomics] dropped by, and for the first time I had heard about the hazard of developing RSI. The consequences scared me brutally. Coincidentally, one week later my right hand started to hurt around the carpal region, probably due to nimble fretwork in an awkward way [I am left-handed for everything except writing]. In panic, I avoided any contact with the game, and after some resting my hand healed. I don’t remember exactly when [and this is one of my terrible traits, my lack of diligence, bothering several other aspects in my life] I returned to the game, but it wasn’t long after I had healed. It had been almost a year without experiencing any pain before my present state. The same pain, around the same area, returned. My thumb and index finger seem pretty much unaffected, however my other three fingers, especially my ring finger, experienced consistent pain. I treated my hand with some ointment, and rested it, and over a period of approximately 48 hours it seems to have healed. Now I feel no pain, however my hand feels strange. It is almost as if I felt pain, except with no actual pain, only muscles pulling and cold sparks. If anyone here can help me, please, by all means do so. I am also a singer and guitarist and my heart is eternally bonded to music. It is OK to pay a price for rocking. But this price can never be the ability to play my instruments [otherwise I would not be able to use what I pay for].
Thank you.

By: Waffle Deluxe

Waffle Deluxe — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:30:58 +0000

When I read the title I instantly thought about treefity

By: Kealdrea

Kealdrea — Sun, 25 May 2008 16:42:00 +0000

It’s sad, but you guys are probably screwed for life, unless your life style would allow you to only use your hands for theuraputic exercises for a couple years. I got a repetitive stress injury in the summer before my sophmore year from an MMORPG, before I had even heard of Guitar Hero. In the following school year, before I stopped bothering to keep count, I learned of eleven other people around my age who had repetitive stress injuries, a surprising amount of whom got it just from playing guitar hero.

Almost two years later, my hands are not any better, and they never will be. My dreams of being a computer programmer are still shattered, leaving me with no idea of what I want to do in life.

Unless you don’t mind chronic pain and your ideal occupation doesn’t require you to use your hands (or you’re okay with giving up video games.) I would advise against playing Guitar Hero. I’ve seen the way it’s played, and it’s so ergonomically incorrect that it’s like playing it is the same as begging to get carpal tunnel. x_x