Out of the office and dangerous

Mobile working and hot desking could be putting workers at risk of back problems and upper limb disorders.

Overuse of devices intended for occasional use could be putting people at risk of upper limb disorders.

Chiropractors, physiotherapists and ergonomists are noticing patients who are experiencing back problems because of prolonged use of laptops, BlackBerries and other devices.

Speaking to Legal & Medical, Rishi Loatey, of the British Chiropractic Association said: “the phenomenon of ‘hot desking’ is meaning that many people are now using laptops as their main computer. They take it home with them, and they go to their office and just use them at any desk.

“I have been seeing a lot more patients who use laptops for long periods in the last couple of years. These kind of back problems are on the increase."

“When using a laptop the top of your screen isn’t at eye level, causing the user to have to look down, so their neck is bent and the keyboard is smaller so that when using a laptop instead of having the correct posture you are almost developing a hunched over posture with your chin tucked in and your arms rounded,” he said.

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Friday, 21 November 2008

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