How likely is it that you will get carpal tunnel syndrome with Stepmania?

[MdX MaxX]

I usually play SM on pad on my computer downstairs. But recently I've been playing on KB upstairs, mainly to make some custom stepcharts and play them. So I'm playing, and my parents keep saying "OMG stop playing that you're gonna get carpal tunnel and then you can't use your hands and" blah blah blah. I just want to know, how likely is it that you will get carpal tunnel from SM? Is there a 1 in every _ number? Is it any more harmful than typing? I just want to be sure they're either right or wrong.

[GameFreak19911991]

Umm... if you can figure out what your typing speed is at playing stepmania, then find how long it would take you to get cts at that speed, you'd have an answer.

Maybe if you can do 17 footers and up on a kb, you might be at a higher risk, but who cares? </rhetorical question>

[WEABOO]

You have as high a chance as any other person that types

[Mus!kBox]

Just like playing games and typing, rest every 30 mintues then you should be fine. How ironic =P my title say carpal tunnel from iidx. good thing its not real.

[MdX MaxX]

So if I can't really do much more than 11-12s on KB then I'm fine?

[ChaosMaster]

No, you can play much higher than that and be fine. The easy way to avoid carpal tunnel from SM: if your fingers hurt, stop playing. But note that there's a difference between a little sore (which isn't dangerous and you should be fine to keep going) and hurting (to the point where you doubt you'll be able to play another song through the pain, which is when you should stop). Depending on how far you push yourself, you might wanna give yourself a break of a day or so to make sure no damage occurs. This is what I go by, and my fingers are in perfect condition (except when I've just played a bunch of SM :P).

[sharksoda]

You won't have any problems if you stop when your fingers start to hurt. And just generally avoid playing nonstop for long periods of time.

Same goes for typing and other games.

[IIImasamuneIII]

I've been playing stepmania for a year or so and have been doing a lot of other things that involve a lot of joint movement in my hands.

and I have RSI lol

[Hiryuu]

If I can't feel my hands, I stop SMing. Period.

Honestly, it was worse when I started out and played for large periods of time (sometimes 3 hours, nonstop on things harder than I was used to). Once you get to the point where you're a little better off, it helps...but I wouldn't press yourself too hard if you can't pass or AAA something like Reach's Reality or something like that.

[yk13]

I usually have to play hard songs with a large amount of jackhammers in them before I start to feel pain in my wrist.

[Nightarrow]

I often ignore the pain when I try to pass hard songs, like Vertex Delta or similar... On the weekends it often happens that I play for 6 hours straight, but so far I haven't felt any pain from playing too long, just playing hard songs.

[MagicSteppe]

I been playing all kinds of beat based games since I was like 12. Im 20 now and have never had a problem. Stepmania really never bothers me. Only thing I ever noticed that concerned me was sometimes I would get a shocking tingling feeling down my thumb while playing a hard song on IIDX. But that would just tell me enough beatmania for one day. I was usually fine the next day and ready for more.

[google666]

I've been playing for a good 2 and a half years now and I don't have carpal tunnel, and I would sometimes play nonstop for like 3-4 hours (although I never got this crazy pain thing you guys are talking about).

you should be fine with what you say you're doing.