A new study published in the Journal of ergonomics found that when the iPad is placed flat on the knee or on the desktop and the head is lowered to read, the pressure on the neck muscles is three times that when the head is facing forward and the desktop computer is used. This excessive pressure will cause strong bending of the head and neck, and even lead to neck injury. “The question is not what to do with the tablet, but whether to use the posture properly.” The researchers said.
Sammy Margo, spokesman of the British physiotherapy society, said that the new study confirmed the principles already known in physiotherapy and agreed with the view that putting the iPad on the knee is particularly harmful to health: “lowering the head will stretch the neck muscles, and putting a book on the knee for reading also makes the same sense.”
Previous studies have found that looking at the mobile phone screen with the head tilted at 60 degrees will bring 27 kg of pressure to the cervical spine. In the past few years, like smartphones, the use of tablets has surged. A survey in the United States last year showed that 42% of the minors under the age of 18 in the United States owned tablet computers. More than half of adults aged 35-49 use tablets frequently.
Previous studies have found that improper reading posture is associated with a series of health problems, such as back pain, weight gain, constipation, stomach pain, migraine and respiratory diseases. In addition, a New Zealand study pointed out that reading with your head down often will affect your mental health, such as becoming depressed and angry.
Experts suggest that when using tablet devices, the body should sit upright so that blood and oxygen can flow freely in the body, which is conducive to digestion and absorption. Good sitting posture can also make the brain emit more “happiness molecules” into the blood, such as endorphins, which can bring pleasure, and reduce stress hormones, such as cortisol, which is called “stress hormone”.
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