Musculoskeletal pain in eSports players: clinical implications for ergonomics, exercise, and preventive physiotherapy

This study investigated musculoskeletal pain among keyboard-and-mouse eSports players and its implications for physiotherapy and ergonomics. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 60 players (casual, amateur and professional) who completed a questionnaire on pain, injury history, gaming habits and physiotherapy use. Associations between pain and training volume, sleep and pre-game routines were analysed using chi-square tests and t-tests (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Pain was reported by 71.7% of players, most often in the lower back, wrists and neck. Professional players had higher pain prevalence (<i>p</i> = 0.002). Inadequate sleep (<i>p</i> = 0.012) and the absence of warm-up routines (<i>p</i> = 0.010) were associated with increased pain. Only 8.3% reported injuries requiring clinical care, and few had accessed physiotherapy. Musculoskeletal pain is highly prevalent yet under-managed in this population, highlighting the need for ergonomic strategies, warm-up routines, micro-breaks and targeted exercise programmes aligned with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to support functioning and performance.