See a doctor - again -- not to assure that you're not having a heart attack, but to get your pain fully evaluated (probably best done by an orthopedic surgeon), diagnosed, and if possible, treated. ASK about a referral to physical therapy as well -- they can often help you with preventative and therapeutic activities. You will need to do the exercises that are recommended by PT for them to work - seems obvious, but I would guess compliance after the initial treatment period is pretty poor.
I strongly suggest listening to these health care professionals -- if you don't like their advice, see another professional, but don't go shopping until you find someone that will tell you what you want to hear, whatever that is, if others seem to have consistent agreement on what's wrong with you and what to do. If they agree, it's probably because the science, along with their experience and expertise, are consistently supportive of what they're telling you.
If they advise treatment, medical or surgical, do as they recommend (you can, of course, and should, of course, ask what the alternatives are, and what the benefits and risks of all your options are, including "doing nothing" - and in the end, it's your decision -- but trust the information you're given in making your decision).
It may be that you need to limit, or even stop, certain kinds of physical activity, and this may include playing at certain kinds of machines -- your alternative may be continuing to play, getting worse, and eventually having no choice but to quit, only with the pain still there after you've given it up.
--BG
==================
> 2a. Body Wear & Tear
> Hi Gang:
> I've been meaning to pose this question to these forums for
> awhile hoping
> to open up some dialogue to a problem I've been
> experiencing for some time
> to see if it's as prevalent in the VP community as I
> believe it is.
> The problem/condition is wear and tear on the body after
> years of intense
> video poker play. I recently celebrated my 68th year on
> this planet and it
> seems that the inevitable aches and pains of "old age" have
> been
> accelerated and exacerbated by thousands of hours of
> play at mostly upright machines
> with chairs bolted to the floor that leave my arms in
> an uncomfortable,
> stretched-out position and my body in a ergonomically
> incorrect position.
> This has resulted in sometimes unbearable pain in my arms,
> neck and
> shoulders, and chest. In fact, the pain in my chest got so
> bad a few weeks ago I
> wound up in the emergency room at a local hospital, fearing
> that I was
> having a heart attack. All tests were negative, thank
> God, and the diagnosis was
> that my problems were all muscle-related. So, it was
> logical to assume
> that the repetitive motion of playing video poker was
> the culprit.
> The nerve impingement in my left shoulder/neck area has
> gotten so bad I
> have numbness and tingling in my left arm and it has
> seriously curtailed my
> ability to play long sessions any more. Hedy and I have
> been playing
> seriously since 1998 and the millions of hands we've
> played and the thousands of
> hours we've logged doing so are definitely taking a
> toll on our bodies.
> I've found that in recent months I've cut short my sessions
> and have
> reverted to being a cheerleader for Hedy, who is six years
> younger and has a lot
> more stamina than me at this point in our VP careers.
> I find myself
> taking more and more breaks during my play, getting up and
> stretching at regular
> intervals and basically cutting down on my play time.
> Chiropractic treatment and muscle-strengthening exercises
> have helped
> somewhat but I don't see the situation getting much better
> as we move forward
> and I get older.
> If anyone has experienced these same symptoms/problems and
> has some magic
> elixir or advice to alleviate this pain and suffering I'm
> all ears.
