How
to reduce back pain while sitting in an office chair
Sitting up straight will
reduce back pain:
Remember your parents or teacher telling you to, Sit up
straight? Unfortunately in today's lifestyle, we sit most of the
time. We sit commuting to work, at work, commuting home from
work, then watching TV, or working on our home computers. On the
weekends, we sit at our children's games, dance recitals, or at
the movies. Our lives revolve around sitting Poor postural
habits incline to result from poor sitting habits, such as when
we slouch in chairs of hunch over playing video games.
Poor posture can lead to back problems.
Inadequate back support will create stress on the lower back
region. Sitting puts three times the amount of pressure on the
lumbosacral discs than standing. Sitting for long periods of
time without the proper back support can lead to poor posture.
This puts stress on the soft tissues and joints of the spine,
which causes or exacerbates lower back pain.
Poor posture while sitting, shifts your weigh forward,
increasing the stress on the lower portion of you back. This can
cause a condition called sciatica, pain caused by pressure on
the sciatic nerve. This is the biggest nerve in the body with
branches throughout the lower body and legs. The pain you feel
may be a burning sensation or shooting pain into you buttocks
and down your leg. So, remember what your parents or teacher
told you and sit up straight.
The importance of back support needed:
The lordotic curve is where the lower portion of your spine, the
area above your buttocks, curves inward. Lumbar back support
promotes good posture by supporting the lumbar area of the
spine. In chairs, that do not offer lumbar support, this area is
left unsupported, leaving a gap between your back and the chair.
This makes it difficult to maintain good posture. The lower back
muscles must work harder to offer the proper support to maintain
the alignment of the spine. Eventually the lumbar muscles tire
and become weak, your head and upper back slouches forward to
balance the weakening muscles and we end up with poor posture.
Good lumbar support relieves the muscles that surround the spine
of the strain of having to maintain the natural curve of the
spine. This is exceptionally significant when seated for long
periods.
In addition to lower back support, there are other ways to
ensure that your office chair provides you with the correct neck
and back support.
Computer work:
1. Avoid neck strain by having elbow supports.
2. Elbows should be at right angles and comfortable.
3. Knees should be bent at right angles, if necessary use
footrest to
elevate feet.
4. Eyes should be level with computer screen.
This information should not be substituted for medical advice.
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