In this day and age nearly all of us have more screen time than we did in the past. And even worse, we now spend more time at a laptop or our smart phone instead of a desk top. The portability of your smart phone or laptop gives it many advantages, but in the category of ergonomics these devices are a disadvantage. Ideally the height of your screen should be placed so that the top of your screen is at eye level, creating a slight downward gaze at your monitor. For you lap top users being able to doc your laptop and use a separate monitor is a great solution. If you can’t do this Chiou et al recommend that the angle of your laptop monitor should be at 130 degrees which will decrease forward head posture as well as decrease shoulder and neck pain.
If you need help with your ergonomic set up remember that the set up of your space is only one factor. The other factor is your body. At bodyMechanics we can help you with both!
Contact adamlindsey@bmechanics.com
Resource: Chiou WK, Chou WY, Chen BH. Notebook computer use with different monitor tilt angle: effects on posture, muscle activity and discomfort of neck pain users. Work. 2012:41.