Candy Crush Injuries
So you know how when the Wii became popular, emergency rooms were filled with Wii-related injuries? Perhaps they are still filled with Wii-related injuries, but I haven’t heard about this phenomena in a long time. So either we’re getting better at playing Wii or newspapers are bored of writing Wii-injury stories. Regardless, I started to notice recently that my jaw hurts after playing Candy Crush, especially the timed levels. And if the timed levels contain bombs, forget about it — my jaw is el fuego after a life or two.
I realized what I’m doing to make my mouth feel as if it’s being pushed out of alignment while I line up candies, and it seems to be two-fold. One, I lean my cheek on my hand, grinding my teeth together as I play. Two, I get so tense trying to beat the clock that I press my tongue against the inside of my teeth. Especially my lower teeth. I will probably need a retainer by the time I get to level 150. I AM DESTROYING MY JAW FOR A GAME.
At least with the Wii, you are up, you are active. You are sort of virtually bowling as you dislocate your shoulder. I am doing nothing but moving around colourful balls on a screen. Candy Crush should be safe from game-related injuries.
The worst part is that I don’t stop playing, though I am now trying to be mindful of how I’m holding my jaw. To solve this problem, I am playing the game with my mouth wide open, as if I am locked in an eternal scream. Imagine my head tilted back, shrieking like Lilith at that skinny Candy Crush man, with no sound escaping my lips. Imagine Hungry Hungry Hippos with the button controlling their gaping maw forever depressed. Pretty picture, no?
And that’s how I’m playing Candy Crush from now on because god-forbid that I actually stop playing the stupid game. I am now on level 135 even though I said I would stop at 100.
10 comments
I am laughing so hard at that mental picture of you playing with your mouth wide open as if you were in mid-scream. I tend to clench my jaw on those bomb levels, and I do a real fast foot tap/shake, too.
I have been at 181 for weeks now. I know exactly what needs to happen for me to beat it, but the candies have not been cooperative.
I can completely understand. Last night, when I went to bed, I was having this horrible right elbow pain that was radiating up to my shoulder and down to my wrist. It took me a while to figure out it was from procrastinating my grad school studying by sitting on the couch and playing games on my phone for hours. Candy Crush, Solitaire, Sudoku, Cake Mania–you name it, I can procrastinate with it! I’m stuck on level 132 of Candy Crush and I just can’t get the candies to line up to clear it!
That mental image is cracking me up!
The tendon in my right index finger is sore most of the time. I think it’s because I spend too much time clicking my mouse around the internet. Injuries are common…
Also, I’m pretty sure I broke off part of my tooth because I grind my retainer against my teeth while I’m sleeping.
Look at you go! 135 or thereabouts had me stuck for AGES. It does, eventually, get better.
Mel, I’ll have you know that because of you I am know playing that game because of you! Fortunately, I don’t have any game related injuries. Feel better!
The more you post on this game, the more it makes me glad that I haven’t downloaded it to my phone and have never played it….. 🙂
I’ve been begging my friends to give me a ticket so I can get to Ep. 4 on Facebook. I use up my battery playing it on my phone. I do have a life, I swear, but after work is done, I dream of candy. Did you see article about Candy Crush Saga being made for middle aged women?
Yesterday I saw three people standing, staggered. I had an overwhelming need to line them up to make them disappear.
You did this to me. LOL.
I’m a 64-year-old woman who just spent a night in the ER and getting x-rayed all due to my Candy Crush obsession. I am still suffering from severe neck and shoulder pain and look forward to months of physical therapy for this. I have deleted the game from my iPhone! (My tendency was to hold the phone in my left hand while playing, tensing up my left side unconsciously.) If you are the least bit OCD do not download this game!!!!