Have you ever wondered whether there’s a better way to be holding your phone or tablet? There is no doubt that we see patients coming through the clinic on a weekly basis with wrist, forearm and elbow symptoms arising from constantly tapping away at their phone and iPad. And that’s in addition to the obviously slumped posture that most of us adopt when using our devices.
I recently came across this research article (click here to see article) which compared the accuracy and strain involved in holding a phone or tablet in portrait orientation with one hand, contrasted with holding the device in a landscape orientation with two hands. The article clearly indicated increased accuracy and decreased strain in the two-handed, landscape orientation. So if you have been feeling any strain associated with the use of your devices, it would be worth trialling this two-handed landscape approach, to see if it improves comfort through your wrists and forearms.
And again, we should also be constantly aware of the impact our devices are having on our postures. Try to ensure that you spend at least some of your day with your eyes looking up at the horizon, rather than down at your tablet.
