British scientists have warned that regular use of laptops could damage your health and may also cause problems in your spine, neck, shoulders and other serious orthopedic pain because of poor posture.
Laptops are very useful for travelers, students and executives who require convenience, portability and power while on-the-move.
Health experts are now worried because in recent times laptop sales have been booming, and this has led to a surge in the number of computer users with back and muscle problems.
A group of leading chiropractors have said that girls as young as 12 years are being diagnosed with nerve damage caused by slouching over screens.
A common problem is perching a laptop on the legs because then the users stare down at the screen and strain their necks, spines and legs.
London-based chiropractor Michael Durntall, who was among those calling for more research into the issue, said he had seen dozens of x-rays showing signs of degeneration in the joints of regular laptop users.
“Mothers bring in their 12-year-old daughters suffering back pain and when they arrive I can see their slumped posture straight away,” said Durntall.
“I also see many people in their twenties and thirties with a dowager’s hump – a rounding at the base of the neck – after only a few years of looking down at a small screen while sitting slumped on a chair for long periods,” he added.
Vikas Gupta, an orthopedic surgeon at New Delhi’s Fortis Hospital, said, “I get at least four to five patients every week with hand and arm pain due to repetitive strain injury, which is induced by resting wrists against the edge of a laptop.”
“The number of cases has been increasing since the past two years and most of the patients are young executives who use laptops excessively. While working on laptops, people should take a break every 20 to 25 minutes otherwise muscle ligaments and joints could be damaged,” Gupta added.