A man tore a tendon in his thumb after playing Candy Crush on his phone for weeks – and didn’t even realise he was injured.

The 29-year-old, who lived in California, had been playing the game all day for six to eight weeks as he had just left the military and was in between jobs.

He tore the tendon, an injury which is normally quite painful, but reported he felt nothing at all.

Doctors who treated him said his case shows video games can numb people’s pain and this might be why some people play them excessively, and why some people become addicted or become injured while playing.

A man tore a tendon in his thumb after playing the game Candy Crush Saga on his phone for weeks - but reported he felt no pain at all (file photo)

Candy Crush Saga is a popular game that involves swiping rows of brightly coloured sweets in order to line up three matching ones and earn points.

It has been downloaded by more than 500 million people since its launch in 2012.

Writing in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, doctors describe how man came to hospital in California complaining his left thumb hurt and he couldn’t move it properly, and said he had been playing the game for weeks.

They examined him and carried out MRI scans on his hand, and discovered he had ruptured a tendon in his thumb, and would need surgery to repair it, LiveScience reports.

Dr Andrew Doan, a co-author of the case report said typically, when people rupture this tendon, they tear it at the point where it is thinnest, or where it attaches to the bone.

Candy Crush Saga has been downloaded by more than 500 million people since its launch in 2012

VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES 'CAN INCREASE PAIN TOLERANCE BY 65%' Violent video games in which players have to shoot enemies can actually be good for people, a university has claimed - after discovering the games give people a higher pain threshold. A study at Keele University found that 40 volunteers were able to stomach pain for 65 per cent longer after playing violent 'first person shooter' games, than those who had played a non-violent golf game. Participants played both the violent and non-violent game on separate occasions for 10 minutes and then placed one of their hands in ice-cold water to test their reaction to pain. On average, participants kept their hands in the icy water for 65 per cent longer after playing the violent game, indicating that playing the game increased the participants’ pain tolerance Advertisement

But in this man’s, he tore the tendon at its thickest point, which would usually cause pain before it ruptured, he told LiveScience journalists.

This could be because when people play games, they feel pleasure and excitement, and this can cause natural painkillers to be released in the body – similar to when a person experiences a ‘runner’s high’, he explained.

This might numb the pain of an injury, but it could also explain why video games can be addictive, he added.

In this case, the man was not actually addicted to Candy crush, but Dr Doan warns people who do become hooked, and their relationships, finances and work can suffer.

He advised limit gaming to half an hour a day, as studies have shown that at this level, games can have social and emotional benefits.

Those who have problems in their lives as a result of too much gaming should go to their doctor, and can seek help from the support group On Line Gamers Anonymous.

Writing in the report, researchers said the ‘painkiller effect’ of video games might have benefits in the right circumstances.

Research could consider whether video games have a role in pain management, as a non-drug alternative during painful medical procedures, they said.