Tablet Use Results in Less Muscle Activity, Repetitive Movements and Poor Posture than Toy Play

A small study examined five children (ages 3-5 years old) participating in three conditions (15 minutes each) in randomized order:

1) playing with traditional age appropriate toys to simulate free play environment (e.g. drawing/crafts, trains, toy cars).

2) playing with iPad2 with a range of age appropriate apps.

3) viewing television with a range of age appropriate programs.

During the different conditions mentioned above three variables were measured: mean and variation in dominant arm hand movement using an ActiGraph GT3X+, wrist, thorax and head posture  with Vicon motion analysis and upper trapezius muscle activity with an EMG system.

The results indicated the following:

1.  the most hand movement occurred during traditional play followed by tablet use with television viewing being the least
2. greatest mean and variation in upper trapezius muscle activity during playing with traditional toys followed by tablet play and than television viewing.
3. mean neck flexion during tablet play was greater than the other conditions.
4. the thorax was also more flexed during tablet play than when playing with toys or watching television.

In summary, tablet computer use by young children results in less movement, muscle activity, repetitive wrist movement and poor spinal posture than toy play.  All of these issues may put children at risk of musculoskeletal symptom development.

Remember to offer children ample time for typical play time to avoid overuse issues from excessive tablet use.  Need ideas?  Check out Play Move Develop.

Play Move Develop includes 100 reproducible games and activity ideas to encourage motor skill development and learning in children. Great resource for fun, home exercise program activities. FIND OUT MORE.

Reference:  Straker, L et al. Movement, posture and muscle activity in young children using tablet computers. Retrieved from the web on 1/31/16 at http://ergonomics.uq.edu.au/iea/proceedings/Index_files/papers/1899.pdf

Postural Care A to Z Free Resource

Another great resource found on Facebook.  This resource was shared by Sparkle Occupational Therapy.  It is an award winning document entitled The A to Z of Postural Care from the University of Kent.  The document discusses various types of adaptive equipment, manual handling, emotional support, inclusive education and the golden rules about equipment use.  Then it goes through each letter of the alphabet discussing postural tips and facts ie A is for alignment, ask, ability and attitudes.

You can download the 52 page document for FREE here http://www.kent.ac.uk/chss/docs/A-Z_Posture_Booklet-v5c-pages-web.pdf

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Classroom Activity Posters: a collection of 16 exercise activities, 4 large posters and a brief, simple video demonstration of each exercise.  The posters are divided into four groups: posture, alerting, ready to work and focus/balance. All of the exercises are performed in standing. Try these activities prior to starting fine motor activities, for posture breaks, to refocus students attention and for vestibular/ proprioceptive input in the classroom.

FIND OUT MORE at http://yourtherapysource.com/cap.html

 

5 Postural Exercises Using a Classroom Chair

Print this free hand out on 5 postural exercises that students and adults can do sitting in a classroom chair.  It is from 25 Tip Sheets for School Based Therapists.  Get the free hand out at YourTherapySource.com. - http://yourtherapysource.com/tipsheetsfreebie.html

Thanksgiving Poses - Postural and Strengthening Exercises

Check out our latest sale ebook just in time for Thanksgiving therapy sessions or some activity ideas to send home over the break -  Thanksgiving Poses.

Using Apps for Evaluating Posture

Here is an interesting way to evaluate a client's posture - try using your iPhone or iPad. Basically what you will do is create an image with a picture of the client and a grid over the picture. With the grid you can measure angles to determine progress. Here is how you do it:

Step 1: Download a free app to your phone that can alter photographs. I used a free app called SketchBookX for the purpose of this tutorial.

Step 2: Download and save a copy of this transparent grid that I created below (right click on image to save).


Step 3: Email yourself a copy of the grid and save the grid image on your phone.

Step 4: Take a picture of your client with your phone to assess his/her posture. See example below.



Step 5: Open up the SketchBookX app on your phone. Touch the circle at the bottom of page. Touch the icon with the three pieces of paper on it. For Layer 1 touch the icon with the flower and plus symbol to acquire your image from phone. Choose from your photo library the picture you took of the client. Now touch the two plus symbols to create another layer. Touch the flower/plus symbol to acquire the image of the grid that you emailed and saved the copy of on your phone (it will appear black because it is transparent). Now press the down arrow and touch merge. The grid will now be merged on top of the photo. See below.



Step 6: Print out your image or store online for your photo documentation before interventions. Using a protractor and the grid as a guide you can determine different angles of the spine.

Step 7: To assess progress, repeat the process showing improvements in the angles over time.



Now maybe you are thinking that you could just take a picture to indicate postural changes or use a goniometer. This is true but, by actually measuring the angles on the grid over time you can document small progressions that may not be as noticeable in a regular photo. A picture is worth a thousand words too. It can be difficult to get a true goniometric measurement of a child's posture who moves frequently whereas a photo can capture that moment in time. In addition, it can help with goal writing - Jane will improve her upright posture at her desk by 10 degrees. It certainly is not exact but not a bad free tool if you ask me.

Have any questions about how to do it all? Email me at mrice@yourtherapysource.com.

Can you think of any other ways to use the grid over photos to indicate progress?

Posture Education

A recent study from the International Journal of Sports Medicine reports on postural education on daily habits in children. One hundred thirty seven children (average age 10.7 years) were randomly divided into an experimental group who received 6 sessions of postural education over the course of 6 weeks and a control group who did not receive any intervention. Following the 6 week intervention a sum score was established from the following: correct use of sofa, stooping correctly, take care to sit correctly at home/school and frequent posture change on chair at home/school The sum score was significantly increased in the experimental group following the 6 week session and at 3 months post test compared to the control group. The researchers suggest that postural education in children may help to prevent low back pain later in life.

Reference: J. Vidal, P. A. Borras, F. B. Ortega, J. Cantallops, X. Ponseti, P. Palou Effects of Postural Education on Daily Habits in Children Int J Sports Med 2011; 32(4): 303-308 DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1270469

Pediatric Sitting Gadget

Here is an interesting sitting gadget for children with and without special needs called the Nada Chair. The Nada Chair is a sling that you wrap around the child's back (or adults) and knees. The knees are used as a helper to stabilize the back. There are also stretch straps that you can purchase to assist with long sitting and hamstring stretching. It is inexpensive for the therapy world of products - $45.oo for the KiddyUp kit which includes the posture assist and stretch straps.

Perhaps many of your have heard of it or currently use it. I would love to hear what you think of it. Please comment.