Laptops may make us more mobile but they're being blamed for a rise in back, neck and shoulder problems.

Good laptop health
• Use a separate keyboard and mouse.
• Use a laptop stand to raise the screen to eye level.
• Work on a stable base and not on your lap.
• Take regular breaks to relieve upper body tension.
• Sit up straight with your lower back supported.
 
Almost 450,000 UK workers suffer from repetitive strain injury (RSI) in their upper limbs and the rise in popularity of laptops could be part of the problem.

Laptop computers were once used mainly by harassed business people who had to work on planes or trains, but not any more. Thanks to low prices, the rise in home working and wireless internet access, laptops are everywhere. In 2005, laptops outsold desktop computers for the first time.

“I've seen many people with neck, back and shoulder problems caused by laptops,” says Tim Hutchful, a British Chiropractic Association-registered chiropractor.

“They tend to be mobile office workers who spend a long time on the move. However, even people who use them in the office now have a problem, because of hot-desking. They’re having to use desks and seats that aren’t set up for them.

"The design of laptops hasn’t evolved with their changing use," he says. "Originally, laptops were designed to do a little bit of work on, then you’d put it on a desk and work from there. .
“Now, more people are using their laptops as their only computer, so they’re spending longer and longer in these hunched positions.”

Bad posture
 
Bad posture is inevitable because of the way laptops are designed, says Levent Caglar, senior consultant ergonomist at the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA).
“The main problem is the keyboard being attached to the screen,” he adds. “You need the screen at arm's length but you need the keyboard near you, so you push the laptop further back, then your hands stretch out, then you hunch your shoulders.

"That creates bad posture. If I were designing a laptop, I’d do it with a detachable screen. The average human head weighs quite a lot. If it’s in the ideal position, balanced above the shoulders, it’s fine.

“But when you use a laptop, your ears are further forward than your shoulders. That’s like taking a weight and holding it out at arm's length. The load through your spine is much greater and, more importantly, it’s a static load. You’re not moving. This causes neck, upper back and arm problems."
Tim says laptops are "absolutely fine" when used properly. "There are plenty of ways you can make your laptop safer and more comfortable,” he says.

Tips for laptop use
Tim Hutchful’s tips on laptop use:
• Use a separate keyboard and mouse so the laptop screen can be placed at eye level.
• Use a laptop stand to place the screen at the right height with your eyes at the same level as the top of your screen.
• Use your laptop on a stable base where there is support for your arms, and not on your lap.
• Take regular breaks. If you’re moving, there’s a lot less stress on your muscles and joints.
• Adopt good sitting posture with lower back support and ensure other desk equipment is within reach.
• Get into good habits before the aching starts. Neck, shoulder and back problems build up over time.

Date published: Tuesday December 11 2007
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/workplacehealth