by Dr. Amy Mercovich
Using a laptop on your lap is a cardinal sin, in the opinion of this chiropractor.
It puts your spine in the worst position, completely reversing the normal curves of your neck and lower back.
See how my lower back and neck curves are both blending into my mid-back curve?
My spine looks like one big letter “C” instead of having distinct neck, mid-back, and lumbar curves. This eventually will cause degenerative changes in the discs of the neck and lower back. No one wants that!
You may say, “I use my laptop on a desk, so it’s okay.” You would be WRONG!
Using the laptop on the desk is only marginally better, mostly because you can keep a good lower back curve IF you are sitting properly in your chair (which I am NOT, in the photo above), but your neck curve is being wrecked and the upper back still gets rounded forward.
There is a simple and inexpensive solution!
A Portable Laptop Desk and a Wireless Keyboard and Mouse… for very little money (under $60), you can create a PERFECT laptop work station. No excuses!
Take a look at my posture now…aaaahhhh… so much better!
This is my computer work station in my kitchen. See how my head is up high because I must look up slightly to see my laptop screen?
See how my arms can rest comfortably because I am using a wireless keyboard? (The wireless mouse is there too on my right side.)
The portable laptop desk is adjustable in many ways. I set it up to have my eye level to be at the bottom third of the screen, ensuring that I would need to sit up very straight to see my screen.
There is a lip on the portable laptop desk to keep the laptop from falling. When I need more work space in front of me for papers, all I need to do is slide the portable laptop desk away from me.
If sitting up straight is a problem for you, or you wish you could lean back, all you need to do is use an ergonomic office chair, which you tuck in as close as possible to the desk. Personally, I never use the back of my chair anyway, so I just sit up straight. (Good exercise for the back and core!)
So easy! So perfect! Hardly any cost at all! You can do this, too. Your spine and nervous system will thank you.