A reader, Tracy, asked about computer use and pain.  In this series of 3 articles, we’ll look at this issue.

As more and more people use computers, more and more are experiencing neck, shoulder, back and arm pain because of these great devices.  Even kids are being diagnosed with nerve damage because of poor posture and the strain of repetitive movements.  As the popularity of laptops increases, the problems may worsen, as people’s posture while using laptops is often even worse than while at their desk.

People can get neck pain because of looking down at a screen, or because the screen is not directly in front of them and their neck is twisted.  Your shoulders and back can ache because of being hunched over.

Hand and arm pain can occur if your arms or wrists are crooked, or if you don’t rest your hands enough to give them a break from the small movements associated with typing.  However, resting your hands or arms right on the edge of the laptop can stop your nerves and tendons from moving as they normally would.  This can cause nerve injury.

Next Wednesday we’ll look at what is good posture for computer use.  And next Friday, we’ll look at simple exercises you can do while you type to prevent pain and injury.

Other articles in this series:

• How to sit at your computer to avoid pain
• Exercises to avoid pain at your computer