A study on neck-shoulder muscle activity when using a single computer display screen versus two screens concurrently

Abstract

The use of dual screens has become a very common practice in the office setting nowadays but very little research has been published regarding the effects of such a display screen setting. Past research has mainly focused on investigating the effects of viewing a single screen. This paper describes a study that compared the neck-shoulder muscle activity when a computer user worked with a single display screen versus two screens placed side by side. Results showed that using dual screen was associated with a significant reduction in the median amplitude of the right trapezius muscle activity. This finding provides objective evidence to support the beneficial effect of using dual screens in the office setting, which may result in reduced static muscle tension which may affect work-related musculoskeletal disorders.