The use of tablets use has drastically increased over the last few years. These devices usually represent a valuable alternative to heavier laptops and to small smartphones, offering a halfway solution between comfort in transportation and dimension of the display. However, tablets require significant efforts for heads and necks and can represent a potential threat for users’ health, with specific focus on potential neck injuries.

Researchers from Washington State University conducted a study on 33 university students to evaluate the head-neck biomechanics during the use of tablets and the implications for the musculature of the necks. The students were analysed in different positions while using tablets and, more specifically, while reading and typing on them for intervals between 2 and 5 minutes. Biomechanical models and radiographs were used to understand and assess the gravitational demand on the neck during the use of the devices. The study was developed starting from a hypothesis suggesting that during the use of tablets the gravitational demand is greater than when in a neutral posture, especially when the tablet is used flat on a desk or on a lap. The other suppositions concerned the fact that the gravitational demand is different when reading or typing and that it is different for female users. The researchers discovered that using tables actually increases mechanical demand on neck muscles by 3-5 times compared to a neutral position. Using a tablet on a lap or flat also had the same effect when compared to being propped up, but whether the subjects were typing or reading had little effect on the level of neck strain. The position of the hand did not affect the head-neck demand. The difference of demand between male and female students showed that there was a minimal increase in males; however, the difference was not enough to be significant. The researchers commented: “Our findings are important for developing ergonomics guidelines for tablet computer use because they provide quantitative information about the mechanical requirements of the head-neck musculature, which are directly linked to mechanisms of pain-related problems, under several tablet computer usage conditions.” It was also pointed out that the tablet’s use requires more research, to evaluate the effects of frequency and extent of use as well as the importance of posture, factors that could play a significant role in the induction of neck pain after tablet use.

Written by: Pietro Paolo Frigenti