Sure, virtual reality headsets are all fun and games until someone fractures their spine.

But while video games — especially the interactive kind — can be challenging, are they really as backbreaking as, say, shovelling clay?

German doctors thought so when a 31-year-old man presented to them with pain and swelling in the lower cervical spine after playing a video game while wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset.

The patient had no pre-existing comorbidities or history of regular medication use or drug abuse.