EK HEALTH

-by Kim Granata-Clark, MS in Human Factors and Ergonomics, Ergonomic Specialist

Do you travel with your laptop?  Do you carry external devices such as a laptop holder, keyboard or mouse?  At the very least, you should probably have an external mouse that fits in the palm of your hand, not the tiny mouse on the market for travel use.  Most likely you are using this mouse for a long period of time.

Using the touchpad on your laptop is convenient for short term use, but there is the constant pressure on your wrist or palm of your hand from the side of the laptop.  Also your fingers are in a curled position when using the touchpad versus operating the mouse, which allows your fingers to extend over the mouse.  If you use your touchpad, try to use both hands, one to move the cursor on the touch pad and the other hand to push the left and right mouse buttons.

If you use your laptop in meetings, a laptop holder with an external keyboard and mouse is recommended to prevent neck discomfort from looking down at the monitor screen.  Some laptop holders raise the laptop screen to your eye level, with the external keyboard and mouse in your lap or on the work surface.  Look in the office supply store for “work desks” that have padding on the bottom that you can put in your lap for the keyboard and mouse.  Also, consider laptop holders that rest just off the edge of the work surface and raise your laptop screen while keeping the laptop keyboard and touchpad at a comfortable angle.

Be safe when you use your laptop to prevent discomfort in the hands and neck.