Let us bring you yet another cautionary tale of a deceptively sweet and bubbly menace to our nation. We speak, of course, of Candy Crush. A 29-year-old man actually ruptured a tendon after weeks of torturing his thumb in pursuit candy matches. We kid you not.




So uhh, how much Candy Crush do you need to play before it becomes dangerous to your physical health? According to a case report in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the man told doctors he’d been playing for six to eight weeks pretty much nonstop—in his words, “playing was a kind of secondary thing, but it was constantly on.” That whole time, his left thumb was swipe swipe swiping, until it basically gave out. He came in with pain and unable to move his thumb. And yes, he needed surgery.


The oddest detail, according to the authors of the report, is that the man never noticed any pain before his tendon ruptured, possibly because he was so absorbed in the game. “Although this is only a single case report, research might consider whether video games have a role in clinical pain management and as nonpharmacologic alternatives during uncomfortable or painful medical procedures,” the case report concludes. So Tylenol or Candy Crush, pick your poison?

[JAMA Internal Medicine via LiveScience]

Top image: Gilman et al/JAMA Internal Medicine.