iPads 'carry RSI risk' - Telegraph Tablet users have started to complain of aches and pains in the hand with which they usually hold their device, as well as in the fingers they use to type, swipe and search the screen. They are also reporting arm and neck pain, associated with bending over the tablet as they hold it on their knees. Many users prop up the iPod in the palms of their hands, and use their index fingers to type. Others prefer to lay it flat on their knees, freeing up their hands but requiring one to bend over it. Cyndi Davis, author of The Ergolab, an ergonomics blog, commented: "It is very challenging finding a comfortable body posture while using the iPad. In my opinion it is not equipped for long-term typing activities. One user, Michael Messner, wrote on an internet forum on the subject, that when propping it up "the bottom corners of the iPad press against the fleshy part of the thumb, the same digit used to type." He complained: "Most of the weight of the iPad gets pressed right into this muscle. The combination of a rounded metal corner pressing into a tensed muscle, rubbing back and forth while you type, gets to be painful quickly. Dr John Pappas, medical director of the Beaumont Centre for Pain Medicine in Michigan, US, said: "Prolonged use of tablet computers can cause different forms of repetitive strain injuries to the fingers and hands. Good posture and frequent, short breaks can help minimize these symptoms. If you are using your iPad or other tablet like a little computer, you can avoid problems by following the same protocols suggested for a laptop computer - buy the right accessories to set the screen at a comfortable working height and use an external keyboard. Apple UK has yet to respond.