The laptop was meant for office people on the move and for short periods. Unfortunately, convenience and lack of time has made the use of laptops a long-term necessity resulting in immense strain to the neck, shoulder and wrist. The laptop gets its name from the facility of keeping this electronic machine on your lap but this may not exactly be the right position for your body. Long periods of sitting perched with a laptop on your lap could give you a chronic pain and more.

A laptop on your lap restricts leg movements and the wrist and fingers are not able to stretch enough because of the small size of the keyboard. Secondly, the muscles and tendons give a lot of pain due to the constant repetitive movements and wrong postures. This ‘overuse injury’ tortures mainly the wrist, hand and elbow inducing stiffness of joints, swelling and numbness. Studies have also shown that the laptop’s heat (it gets heated up after a long use) results in an increase in the temperature of the scrotum in men. This could affect sperm production!

Laptops are to be used carefully. Chiropractors and physiotherapists say that constant breaks must be taken between work like walking, standing up, stretching fingers and arms and adjusting the backrest. The laptop must be adjusted to be at least a little to the eye level. Try to use the whole arm and not only the wrist while using the mouse. This will put less pressure on the wrist. In the same way, however urgent the task may be, type gently to avoid too much strain to the joints and muscles. Although not always possible and convenient, doctors advise the use of a separate keyboard, laptop stand and mouse as preventive measures against strain.

The snazzy laptop is indeed a cool electronic gadget but it comes with its hazards. So, the next time you work on your laptop, place it on an elevated surface and get a comfortable backrest to avoid craning your neck muscles. Also increase the font to avoid unnecessary strain. It will do wonders for your work, your body and also do away with all your aches and pains. Happy tip tapping!