Here’s an alarming development: your iPad may be dangerous for your health. There is even a medical term for this hereto unknown ailment: iPad Hand. If you have noticed cramping and pain in your fingers, hands, arms, shoulders or neck, or any combination of those body parts during or after a long session with your iPad, you may have contracted this disease.
In recent years, physicians have reported more and more patients showing up with a case of RSI (repetitive strain injury), with specific injuries to the thumb, middle finger, wrist and neck. A great many of these patients report that they spend hours at a time playing games, texting or using other functions on their iPads. A correlation has therefore been drawn that would indicate at least one cause of patient complaints.
Technically, according to Dr. Jack Dennerlein at the Harvard School of Public Health, the neck and shoulder problem is “. . . high head and neck flexion postures”, i.e. the awkward and unnatural angles at which head and shoulders are maintained whilst using one’s iPad for lengthy periods of time without taking a break. This type of pain is usually reported by those who set the iPad in their lap and bend over it.
A similar problem occurs in patients who hold the device in one hand as they swipe or type. They begin suffering pain in various joints and muscles of the thumb, fingers and wrist, resulting from continued gripping of the device whilst manoeuvring the thumb and/or fingers in repetitive movements. Holding the iPad against the thumb while using the same digit to type exacerbates the problem, according to at least one user.
The good news is that the cure is fairly simple and inexpensive, but the bad news is you may not be able to stand the treatment. It requires abstinence, or at least moderation in the use of the iPad. Medical professionals suggest that users who simply cannot limit their use of an iPad should invest in a stand or carrying case with enough flexibility to allow frequent changes of position, and a Bluetooth connection for a wireless keyboard.
