November
2007
Laptops and Back Problems
The Unknown
Computer technology is opening doors. But, as more and more schools are switching to laptop computers, more problems are surfacing.
Computers are not new to students, but laptops are. There is no way of knowing how the human body will respond to long hours behind a laptop computer. If properly used, the computers need not be a problem. Training on how to use the computers has shown to be productive.
Computer Injuries
Executives and secretaries that have switched to laptops are finding wrist and arm fatigue is a problem. Laptops can be used anywhere and are often used at improper heights. A 2000 study was released in Australia on students and laptops. 60% of students complained of back and neck pains on laptops.
Laptop Sales Up 25%
With the increase in sales of laptops, more complaints of injuries are expected. Prices of laptops are dropping making them more affordable for homes and schools. 12-year-old girls are going to doctors complaining of pains and diagnosed with nerve damage caused by slouching over laptop screens. Chiropractors are seeing more and more of these types of injuries.
Laptop for Laptop
When individuals actually use a laptop on their legs, new muscles are affected.
- Leg (straining to hold up the laptop)
- Spine (straining to hold legs at the correct angle)
- Neck (bending down to get close to the screen)
Michael Durntall, a London chiropractor, has seen dozens of X-rays with joint degeneration in laptop users. “I also see many people in their twenties and thirties with a dowager’s hump – a lump at the base of the neck – after only a few years of looking down at a small screen while sitting on a chair for long periods.” Chiropractors are warning of irretrievable damage to spines, neck, shoulders because of poor
posture when using laptops. [dailymail.co.us, June 1, 2007]
Hand, Arm and Wrist
There is an increase in hand, arm and wrist pain in heavy users of laptops. Students often use the computers on bed tops or rugs. Commuters work on their way home on the train. Not sitting in a chair with a computer at the right height is taking a toll on users and many as young as ten or twelve.
Growing Problem
With laptops accounting for 70% of computer sales in many regions, the problem is likely to increase in numbers and severity. And, with the virtual classes being offered in record numbers, users will need to improve posture or face damaging their spines.
Of course, parents and teachers know that students use computers for a social network, games, music, harassment, hacking and cheating. Not all time on a computer is spent for educational purposes. Academics should take priority time if any physical symptoms surface.
Schools will not only need to train students on how to use the computers but how to sit while they use them. Parents need to supervise how children sit at home while using computers. Having a flat surface at the right height can eliminate problems.
Mrs. Barb Pytel
K-8 Counselor
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