Physician and ergonomist Doctor Mark Vettraino, director of ergonomics consultants Task Group International, says people used to start going for treatment of deteriorating disk disease in their early 40s. Now, they go in their late 20s. The culprit, he says, is the notebook computer.
When speaking at conferences, he demonstrates the effect of notebooks by showing X-rays of his own neck taken three years apart. The first shows a natural, healthy 60-degree curve of his spine. The second shows it almost straight and at an angle. Those were the first three years in which he used a notebook computer.
Strain on Neck
He refers to the head as a ‘12-pound bowling ball.’ If a person sits for too long with the head lowered and the neck bent to view a computer screen, the weight strains the muscles at the back of the neck, and the spine assumes the curved-forward position.
