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3 ways to avoid iPad neck strain

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February 06, 2012|By Deborah Kotz

How much does hunching over an iPad or other electronic tablet contribute to neck and shoulder strain? Harvard School of Public Health researchers wanted to find out, so they asked 15 volunteers to use iPads in different positions while measuring their postures in a study published last month in Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation.

The researchers found that users craned their necks more when they held the iPads in their laps, either flat or tilted, than when they had them propped on a desk - no surprise there. Movie watchers who stared straight ahead at their iPads had the most neutral postures and were the least likely to have discomfort while using the devices.

Study author Jack Dennerlein, director of the Harvard Occupational Biomechanics Laboratory, recommended the following to avoid chronic aches and pains:

1. Shift positions frequently. “Keep moving and changing your postures every few minutes,’’ he said. This will keep your neck, shoulders, and arms from tensing up or getting fatigued.

2. Invest in a case. If you’re using an iPad for long bouts of reading or movie viewing, you’ll want to keep it propped on a table at about a 60- to 70-degree angle to prevent neck strain.

3. Set fonts to a large type size. This will enable you to read material more easily in a neutral posture with back and neck in a straight vertical line. D.K.

mhc90 wrote: Here’s another idea - PUT THE IPAD DOWN now and then.

doogald wrote: How is this different from reading a book - something all of us have been doing most of our lives?