'Wii elbow': new Nintendo blamed for backache and painful shoulders

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Users of Nintendo's new Wii (pronounced wee) games console have discovered its revolutionary controller can cause backache, painful shoulders and something experts have dubbed "Wii elbow".

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The £179 Wii goes on sale in the UK a week on Friday and is being hyped as one of the 'must-have' Christmas gifts.

Instead of the joystick used with previous consoles, the Wii has a controller like a television remote, which players wave in the air to imitate the action they want to achieve on screen, such as a golf swing or a punch in boxing.

In America, where the console was launched earlier this year, gamers have noticed the effects it has had on them, reported the Wall Street Journal. Kaitlin Franke, 12, from Kentucky, said her right arm started to feel numb soon after playing on a Wii.

Ryan Mercer, 21, a customs broker in Indianapolis, suffered severe muscle strain, even though he regularly lifts weights.

He said: "I was soaking wet with sweat, head to toe - I had to go take a shower. The next morning I had trouble putting my shirt on."

Jeremy Scherer and his wife, from Minnesota, spent three hours playing Wii tennis and bowling games. Mr Scherer, a computer programmer, who described himself-as "not very active", said his shoulders and back were aching the next day. "I was using muscles I hadn't used in a while," he added.

Nintendo said there were warnings to players about the risk before the start of some games. Some give out advice every 15 minutes, urging players to take a break.

Company spokeswoman Perrin Kaplan said Nintendo hadn't received any complaints from gamers about feeling pain after playing on a Wii.

"If people are finding themselves sore, they may need to exercise more," she added.

Other health problems associated with new technology have included mobile phone 'texter's thumb' and hearing damage associated with listening to MP3 music players at high volume.