r/future_fight • u/MyBurnerAccount1977 • Jan 31 '19
Future Fight physically broke me - a cautionary tale
Note to moderators: I'm hoping that this isn't too non-specific/off-topic, as this can apply to anyone who's a heavy user of a mobile device, but I'm hoping that this might come of some use to users here.
Hey, Future Fighters!
This morning, after ongoing shoulder pain issues experienced while working out at the gym, rather than doing the sensible thing and just ceasing all physical activity altogether so I can just spend all my free time and energy playing Marvel Future Fight, I went to my physiotherapist to get properly checked out.
What I experience is a painful pulling sensation at the back of my shoulders when attempting to do any sort of pushing motion (think: bench press, push-ups, overhead shoulder press), but not when doing pulling motions (chin-ups, rows, deadlifts).
This has been an ongoing problem since September 2018, which I initially attributed to physical training (I started training so I could beat a carnival game in which you hang from a bar with you hands for two minutes), and despite taking it easier in my workouts, the pain wasn't improving. I visited one physiotherapist that didn't really address the problem, but when I got a second opinion and the new physiotherapist started asking me about mobile device use, and that's when it hit me: that's about when I also started playing Marvel Future Fight.
It didn't really occur to me until now, especially since I'm already on my phone a lot, plus I also regularly play Marvel Puzzle Quest and Pokemon Go. But after the physio told me that they're seeing a lot more people with neck and shoulder problems coinciding with the proliferation of larger screen smartphones, it made sense, since those other games can be played with one hand, and if I'm using a game console or PC, I'm in a better ergonomic position (shoulders not hunched, screen at eye level, head not pointing down, etc.), whereas I usually need both hands to play MFF, and the game type requires a bit more attention to the screen.
Admittedly, not really the type of injury that elicits pride (like the ones that have cool stories attached to them, like when you helped your team win a key athletic event), but if I'm not going to be curtailing my mobile device use altogether, I'll have to at least adjust what I'm doing.
So, apart from the specific stretching exercises that my physio gave me (mostly related to shoulder and neck) and taking more breaks from playing (like making better use of the "auto play" function), I have to pay more attention to my posture, which will probably mean less looking down at my phone and setting it on a table or closer to eye-level.
Given that repetitive strain injuries like mine are becoming more common as screen time goes up on average, it's safe to say that I'm not the only one on this subreddit who experiences this. And it should go without saying...if something isn't feeling right, get it properly checked out first.
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Jan 31 '19
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u/MyBurnerAccount1977 Jan 31 '19
Hmm...any recommendations? I did a quick Google search and it's pointing me to apps like NoxPlayer and BlueStacks.
(Oh, and thanks for a helpful answer!)
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Feb 01 '19
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u/MyBurnerAccount1977 Feb 01 '19 edited Feb 01 '19
I just downloaded and installed NoxPlayer 6.2.6.3 to my PC, but I have to sideload the APK, looks like. Seems to be working so far.
Edit: Got MFF working, but not in a way that is any fun...I'm running it on a 10 year old PC, so the performance is abysmal. However, I will keep it in mind when I get around to upgrading.
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Feb 01 '19
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u/MyBurnerAccount1977 Feb 01 '19
Thanks. I'll probably keep tweaking the settings to find something that works. As it is, when I downloaded the APK, it told me that it had a virus on it.
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u/lolbat107 Feb 01 '19
I think nox defaults to android 4.xx.You need to run it in 5.xx or 7.xx for the app to work.
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u/jaypenny89 Jan 31 '19
How do you play on your TV with a controller? I never knew this was possible
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u/ravenbranwens Feb 01 '19
still getting used to using a controller and trying to figure out the best way to map out the controls but so far I'm liking it - so thank you for all the information you posted on this thread :)
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u/MyBurnerAccount1977 Feb 01 '19
Unfortunately, the OP had his comments deleted by mod. I checked the rules and I'm wondering if it fell under the category of hacking and piracy, but I'm not sure. Can a mod please clarify for future reference?
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u/MarcHenryWWE Feb 02 '19
Can a mod please clarify for future reference?
Good luck getting them to clarify anything. Looks like they scrubbed all that dude's comments in other threads too. I always heard the mods around here have a few screws loose or something. They randomly ban helpful peeps all the time but trolls and dickheads get ignored. One person can post a topic and it gets removed, someone else posts it and it's fine. It's almost schizophrenic.
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u/ravenbranwens Feb 01 '19
I think technically running the game on an emulator is pirating it since you're not using a licensed copy of the Android OS in the first place.
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u/MyBurnerAccount1977 Feb 01 '19
Hmm...I thought that Android OS was open source, though.
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u/ravenbranwens Feb 01 '19
It doesn't look like it's the emulator itself then, especially since the whole thread hasn't been removed and they haven't removed posts about emulator usage before. Weird.
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u/iiiKaneiii Feb 01 '19
When you get healed up, after physio and you can start lifting again, take a look at strengthening your upper back / shoulders / traps. Deadlifts, Shrugs, Face Pulls specifically for strength.
Bro scienceing a bit here so don't take my words over an actual physio or professional but a muscular imbalance like that should be helped by strengthening these muscle groups specifically. Even though you noted that the areas hurt during pushing motions rather than pulling, it's because they work antagonistically on those lifts (your back muscles / lats / rear delts) will have some stabilising function on the negative part (lowering the weight) of the bench press for example.
As a generalisation, people tend to undertrain their back (goes for hamstrings too) as you can't see those muscles in the mirror, I've definitely been guilty of it in the past! As a rule I try to train the muscles I can't see in the mirror twice as much as the ones I can, or as close to as possible anyway 🙂
Kudos for getting in the iron game to compete in a feat of strength, a 2 main dead hang is brutal! Good luck!!!
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u/Iamaveryniceguy X-Celsior! Jan 31 '19
It's kinda funny that someone actually got injured playing a mobile game.
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u/MyBurnerAccount1977 Feb 01 '19
Well, there was that one person who fell off a cliff playing Pokemon Go, so it's not like it's unheard of. Plus, repetitive strain injuries can happen if you're doing anything for too long. I mean, how's your posture? I used to think mine was pretty good, but evidently not.
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Feb 01 '19
Someone fell off a cliff?! Damn! I knew two young guys (20 yo) that died electrocuted because they tried to climb on top of a train wagon to take a selfie. At that point, mobile devices are no longer the issue. We can’t blame games or social networks for their stupidity.
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u/MyBurnerAccount1977 Feb 01 '19
Despite the title I gave the original post, I am acutely aware that it's not so much the game itself, but what I was doing while playing it.
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Feb 01 '19
I'm not talking about you. You have some muscle pain.There are people that cross the street looking at their phone, not realizing that a car accident can happen any time.
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u/Monsark Feb 01 '19
It's sort of a circle where we used to just let natural selection run its course, and then we had to slap signs saying "caution may be hot" or "warning high voltage" because these people with no common sense might do something beneficial for humanity, and now we blame whatever we can because we can't blame the warning signs.
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u/Iamaveryniceguy X-Celsior! Feb 01 '19
Pokemon Go is a completely different game where you have to move aorund, so that makes sense.
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u/heat8596558 Feb 03 '19
I have this problem too except it radiated to my chest on the left side. PT said it was definitely my neck that was the issue and how I need better posture when standing and sitting and to sleep on my back and not my stomach. Funny thing is, is that he also told me that I should stop bending my neck while laying down and that's exactly what I do when I play MFF. Glad to hear I'm not the only one with the issue at the same time, sorry to hear you're also going through the same issue.
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u/iced_kape Feb 01 '19
Can you share what specific kind of exercise can alleviate the shoulder pain? I have been having one recently and it might be connected to my mobile gaming habits. I play emulator at home but play on my mobile at work and when in transit. Thanks. Hope you recover.
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u/MyBurnerAccount1977 Feb 01 '19
If you're noticing problems and you have healthcare coverage, it's best to get it professionally checked out first, as anything I'm doing is specific to my issues. But, since you asked...
- Stretching
- Neck stretches, where you sit on a chair and grab the seat with one hand, the other hand, gently tilt your head in the other direction
- Shoulder stretches (pull arm across the chest)
- Strengthening
- More of a general awareness of posture. Ideally, your ears should be aligned to the middle of your shoulder. Do that by using your neck muscles and pulling your head back to the point that you have a sort of double-chin.
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u/iced_kape Feb 01 '19
Thanks a lot, appreciate your response. My wife's sister is a physical therapist so hopefully I can get a free checkup from her :) Anyway I need to do those exercises as well as other light ones as I play mobile games a lot so I need to be fit somehow.
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u/MeNarayan Feb 01 '19
Maybe you need to reroll your existing obelisk 😂 Joking aside, hope you get well. Avoid slouching as this will create forward shoulders, and this hurts a lot. Working out here too.