I love my iPad. But, all dirty jokes aside, has anyone else developed a sore elbow? I hold it with my left hand, and interact with my right, which is why the stress is only in my right elbow. Probably from holding it so closely and using the muscles around the bent elbow more than usual.
I'm not complaining, I can adjust. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this?
iPad 64GB, iPhone 3G, Macbook Pro 2.4Ghz,
Mac OS X (10.6.4),
4 GBs of ram
LOL!! Yes, I am serious. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise to find that tablet computers are not very ergonomic. And since I use mine for work (writing), watching movies (netflix), as well as reading books, I'm on it a lot. It's basically replaced my laptop. Hence the tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow, for those who don't play, is when your forehand arm gets sore and tight around the elbow because you're bending during your swing to get power from the arm muscles, instead of holding your arm straight and getting power from snapping your hips. Just like swinging a baseball bat.
Where the problem with laptops is in the strain from bending your wrists, the problem with tablets (I'm now discovering) is from the constant suspension of the bent elbow of your primary arm as it strains to support itself.
Seriously? I'm the only person who's experiencing this? Has anyone else made the iPad their primary device for work?
Nope, you're not the only one-count me in 🙂 I've had carpal tunnel in both wrists and my right elbow and shoulder for 15 yrs or so. My elbow has gotten considerably worse from exactly what you describe the last 7 wks I've had my iPad. I know that's what it's from, plain old overuse in the wrong position.
That's what I do only every few minutes. I started laughing when I read your original post because I had my arm stretched out while I was reading it. At my house it's jokingly referred to as "Pad Elbow" lol I'm betting it mainly effects people who've had some sort of similar thing in the past.
Dude you're holding it wrong. You're not supposed to be holding it up with one hand, lounge out and set it on your lap, then use one or both hands (or switch) to interact with touchscreen. Sometimes I lay on a couple of pillows and set it on the bed, that works too. Anything but holding it up!
I purchased a $3 stand from the local craft store. If I'm sitting, I lay the iPad in my lap or use the stand. I rarely hold the iPad for any length of time while using it.
Difficult not to chuckle here at the insistence of avoiding the obvious solutions...lay the dang thing down...get a stand...use Dragon Dictation to do your writing, etc. Why the continued possessive clutching if it obviously causes pain?
Was I the ONLY one who managed to read his post correctly?? It's not his left arm that bothers him (or me), it's the RIGHT from the angle you type at. I've got a stand that I never use my iPad without. But that point is moot because it's not his 'holding' arm bothering him (and me also).
I was going to just let it go but everyone seemed to feed on each other here lol How come more can read his post wrong than correctly?
In point of fact, it is indeed the left-arm clutching that holds it too close to your body and creates too sharp an angle for your right arm to comfortably type/navigate on the iPad. You need a more open and loose use of your right arm to avoid the increase in tension that's causing your tennis elbow. And I happen to be a tennis player who knows about tennis elbows.
I've developed Tennis Elbow from supporting the iPad in my left hand and using my right to operate it. But, mine is in the left arm. Never had Tennis Elbow before and it's very painful. Certainly after visiting the doctor and being told about the stretches, I now have it under control.