3 ways to avoid iPad neck strain

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

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 recently asked 15 volunteers to use iPads in different positions while measuring their back and neck postures in a study published this month in Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation.

Using an electronic motion analysis system, the researchers measured posture angles of the head, neck, and spine when iPad users held the devices in four positions: flat on their laps to type; tilted on their laps to read and tap; propped on a desk in a case slightly tilted; or propped on a desk in a case tilted upward at a higher angle to watch a movie.

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.

“There’s a lot more flexibility in changing postures using a tablet computer compared to a desktop,” said study author Jack Dennerlein, director of the Harvard Occupational Biomechanics Laboratory, “and in many ways that’s an advantage.” On the other hand, desktop computers encourage us to sit in the neutral position, gazing forward with our necks straight.

While the study didn’t address rates of shoulder and neck strain linked to various postures -- “that’s the subject of our next paper,” Dennerlein said -- tablet users can take certain precautions to avoid chronic aches and pains.

Here’s what Dennerlein recommends:

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. Tilting the tablet in your hands for extended periods will be tough on your arms and wrists, said Dennerlein.

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. If you can’t read the type, you’ll be inclined to round your back and thrust your neck forward (like a turtle) -- in a poor posture that’s associated with shoulder and neck pain.

Check out this photo gallery for more posture do’s and don’ts.

Deborah Kotz can be reached at dkotz@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @debkotz2.