Pain and muscle activity of neck, shoulder and forearm muscles during touch-screen tablet use on the lap, on the table, and on the table with a case set

Abstract

Background: The touch-screen tablet has become a widely used portable computing device globally. However, physical ergonomics parameters such as muscle activity and pain during use have yet to be evaluated. Objective: To determine pain and muscle activity at neck, shoulder, upper back and forearm regions during tablet use on the lap, table, and table with a case set among university students. Methods: Twenty-four female experienced tablet users aged 18-25 years old completed simulated tasks with tablets in three typical user configurations: on the lap, table, and table with case set at a 60-degree angle. Pain was measured using visual analog scale and body pain chart. Muscle activity was measured using electromyography (EMG). Results: Surprisingly, nearly 100 percent of participants reported pain after tablet use for 21 minutes in all three configurations. The highest severity of pain at the marked region was found during tablet use on the lap compared with other two configurations. Pain at forearm was clearly found in tablet use with the case set at high angle. EMG of cervical erector spinae muscle in tablet use on the table and table with a case set were significantly higher than that on the lap. Conclusions: Tablets should be placed on the table to avoid neck pain during computing use. However, tablet sat high angle can lead to pain at forearm region. Activity of neck muscle was high during tablet use on the table. Ergonomic parameters of tablet use should be evaluated in children and other age groups.