The iPad is beautiful and does a lot of cool things, but it’s an ergonomic disaster. Remember the “Blackberry Thumbs” of the 90’s? We might be on the verge of a new medical diagnosis — the “iHurt.”

Don’t get me wrong, I can see the appeal of the iPad, but here’s what I find problematic:

Unless you set the iPad down — which creates another set of problems — one hand must always hold it while you use your other hand for the touch screen. Even the iPad’s light weight of 1.5 lbs can be quite heavy for the small muscles of the hand, thumb and wrist while holding it for a prolonged period of time. Static holding, along with compression forces at the base of the thumb by the wrist, can be quite troublesome for many people.  Static holding is maintaining a muscular contraction without movement. The working muscles need oxygen, but there’s reduced circulation in the area because of the lack of movement, creating the potential for an accumulation of lactic acid that leads to discomfort.

So if you’re going to hold your iPad, here are a few tips: Alternate the holding and pointing hand; hold it with both hands as much as possible to share the load between hands; and use gravity – let the iPad rest in your hands and palms rather than pinching it with your thumb and fingers to hold it up.

If you do set the iPad down on a table or your lap, it’s much easier on your hands and arms, but you’ll need a significant forward head posture to view the screen.  Your head, rather than being aligned with your spine, now hangs out in front of your body, becoming like a bowling ball that your neck muscle must statically fight to hold up.   Not so good! To reduce the forward head posture and neck flexion when viewing your iPad on a flat surface, set it at an angle such as on the iPad case or a plain old empty 3-ring binder.  Get used to looking down by bending the upper cervical area just like nodding your head “yes.  From there, your eyes should be able to take over without excessive neck flexion.

Typing on the iPad should be kept to a minimum — if not avoided entirely.  Ergonomically, typing on a iPad is even worse than a laptop because it’s impossible to simultaneously keep both the head/neck and upper extremities in good positions.  Using the iPad Keyboard Dock upgrades the device to the laptop level, which is an ergonomic improvement, but not much of one.

There are many other ergonomic challenges with the iPad stemming from its lack of adjustability, which forces the body to contort itself and eventually break down — without our noticing as we are just mesmerized by what’s happening on the screen as the clock keeps ticking.  So if you’re gonna use an iPad, use it sparingly – that’s a challenge — and modify your position frequently.

In the end, the iPad might boost the economy in an unexpected way:  My bet is that it’s going to be a good source of referral for Physical Therapists, Hand Therapists and Chiropractors around the world.