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How Should I Sit With Lower Back Pain

What Is The Correct Sitting Position At A Desk

How To Sit Properly When You Have Back Pain
  • Your eyes should be in the same line with the top of your computer monitor.
  • The shoulders should be relaxed and low.
  • You shouldnt strain to access your keyboard or mouse.
  • Your feet should be flat on the ground.
  • Your upper back should be as straight as possible. Consequently, your lower back should assume its natural curve supported by the chair.
  • Never slouch in the chair.
  • Your hips must be as close to the back of your chair as possible.
  • The upper legs of yours should be at an angle of 90 degrees from the body. Of course, if you are somewhat shorter, you may need a footrest.

Whats The Best Way To Sit

Sit in chairs with straight backs or low-back support. Keep your knees a little higher than your hips. Adjust the seat or use a low stool to prop up your feet. To turn in your chair, move your whole body rather than twist at your waist.

When driving, sit straight and move the seat forward. This helps you not have to lean to reach the controls. You may want to put a small pillow or rolled towel behind your lower back if you must drive or sit for a long time.

Whats The Best Position For Standing

Maintain good posture while you stand. Keep your ears, shoulders, and hips in a straight line, with your head up and your stomach pulled in. Try not to slouch or arch your back. These put added pressure on your lower back. Wear shoes that are comfortable and provide support. If you stand for long periods, rest 1 foot on a low stool to relieve pressure on your lower back. Every 5 to 15 minutes, switch the foot youre resting on the stool.

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How To Relieve Lower Back Pain When Sitting In An Office Chair

Much of what society has told us about “good posture” for your lower back when sitting is not based on fact but rather on traditions that have been passed down over the years without ever being questioned. But did you know that much of what we know about “good posture”can actually can be quite bad for us?

You may hear your mother or grandmother in your head saying, “Sit up straight” or “Don’t slouch”. Some people have gone as far as sitting on exercise balls or chairs without a back to it to try to activate their postural muscle and build a strong “core”. This information isn’t based on medical knowledge, but rather what was considered prim and proper in Victorian Era society centuries ago. Older research that showed that there is more pressure on the discs of cadaver spines gave some initial support to those mantras, but newer evidence is showing this may not be the case .

Clinically, I can tell you that I’ve seen hundreds if not thousands of people who have lower back pain when sitting, is actually caused by trying to have “good posture”.

So, if you want to relieve lower back pain when sitting in an office chair use these tips along with the information in the video above.

Is Sitting Up Straight Good For You

5 Stretches To Prevent and Relieve Lower Back Pain in 10 ...

If you have a habit of slouching while sitting, you are putting lots of pressure on your spine as well as the surrounding muscles. Poor posture results in nerve compression and reduced blood flow, neither of which is good for pain sufferers. On the other hand, sitting up straight allows your bones, ligaments, muscles, and disc to align themselves properly hence eliminating extra strain on your back.

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Causes Of Lower Back Pain When Sitting Standing And Walking

Lower back pain is a widespread condition affecting over half of all adults at some point in their lives. Some of these adults find sitting, standing and/or walking painfully difficult. While lower back pain is common and at times debilitating, there remains no consensus on the optimal way to diagnose and treat patients with this condition. There are a variety of causes for lower back pain and it can be difficult to identify the specific anatomical structure that is causing the pain. Fortunately, successful treatment is not always predicated on finding the specific pain generator.

Given that most people will sit, stand, and walk on any given day, a lot of research has been conducted on how these specific activities relate to the spine and lower back pain. The remainder of this article will discuss why sitting, standing, and walking can change the severity of lower back pain and how it can be helpful in diagnosis.

Refrain From Overstretching And Twisting

Another important tip when seated is to avoid overstretching or twisting your torso.

Overstretching usually occurs when frequently accessed items are placed too far away from you on the desk, such as he keyboard, mouse, and documents. Apart from straining your shoulders, this also adds pressure to your spine as you lean forward.

Organize your workspace so items you access frequently are within your primary zone.

Raise your chair and bring your keyboard and mouse close enough to you that your elbows are at an open 100 110 degrees, no wider.

Also, minimize twisting your torso when seated. When you repetitively twist, you can tear one of the large muscles or ligaments surrounding your spine. This leads to lower back inflammation and spasm. If you do need to reach for an object, turn your office chair along with your whole body. Avoid twisting your waist while seated.

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So If Not The Discs What Does Cause Lower Back Pain When Sitting

For MOST cases that I see clinically, lower back pain when sitting is more an effect of two things:

  • Lack of blood flow and oxygen to the muscles in the spine
  • Sustained muscle tension when sitting
  • When you’re sitting still for long periods of time, your body is rarely moving, your heart isn’t pumping as hard or as fast, and your joints, muscles, and discs aren’t getting as much blood flow as they should. Blood flow brings vital nutrients to your body tissues, but even MORE importantly, it brings OXYGEN to it. When your muscles try to work without oxygen, you get a build up of lactic acid and other chemicals that make your nerves more sensitive, which can cause a burning pain, or in some cases just a deep, achy pain. This is the reason why some people also feel more stiff, sore, or achy when first getting out of bed in the morning after staying in one position all night.When you add on top of that, that MOST people don’t sit with their muscles relaxed, but rather held in a state of sustained tension – constantly under work. When your muscles are working constantly without rest and without oxygen, this is a recipe for disaster – namely the development of lower back pain when sitting for too long.

    So this begs the question:

    Additional Tips For Proper Posture While Sitting

    Back Pain and Flexion Intolerance: How Should I Sit?

    Finding the neutral pelvis is indeed the best sitting position to avoid lower back pain, but there are a few other tips to keep in mind while you are sitting. They can help make sure that you hold back pain at bay for good.

    • Make sure your body weight is positioned evenly across your hips.
    • Do not cross your legs.
    • Keep your knees even or slightly above your hips. You may need a stool to achieve this.
    • Leave your feet flat on the floor.
    • Do not sit in the same position for longer than a half hour at a time.
    • Keep your workstation set up so that you can rest your arms and elbows on your desk or chair relaxing the shoulders.
    • Sit up close to your workstation and have your work pointed up at you instead of you looking down at it.
    • Dont twist or pivot in your chair at your waist. Move your entire body around with each motion.
    • Before you stand up, move up to the front of the chair. Straighten your legs to stand up. Do not bend at the waist.
    • For an added benefit after standing, do a quick stretch of 10 backbends.
    • Use a rolled up towel or a lumbar support pillow if you cant achieve these positions on your own.

    The best way to avoid back pain because of poor posture from sitting wrong would be not to sit. If your job requires you to, that could be difficult to achieve. When its out of the realm of possibility for you to avoid sitting so much, make sure that you are exercising properly to strengthen your back and move around as much as you possibly can.

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    The Causes Of Lower Back Pain

    There are a few primary reasons that the lower back generates pain. For example, a disc could be injured, joints of the back could be irritated or a muscle could be strained. Additionally, any of these examples could also be putting excessive pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots in the back making for a whole mess of symptoms like pain, tingling, and spasms. This can all leave you frustrated and feeling like it’s impossible to focus on your daily tasks. For a full guide on lower back pain causes and remedies look here.

    The Best Sitting Position

    warn against slouching and recommend sitting up straight, with the back against the back of the chair and the feet flat on the floor.

    They also recommend keeping the knees slightly higher than the hips when sitting.

    To determine the cause of back pain, a healthcare provider will ask the person about their medical history and perform a physical examination.

    If the pain is acute, further tests are not necessary, unless the pain results from an injury.

    The treatment for chronic pain depends on the cause, and surgery may be an option.

    Seek medical attention if lower back pain is severe, lasting, or does not improve with stretches, exercises, and other home care techniques.

    Also, contact a doctor if the pain results from an injury.

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    Ways To Relieve Lower Back Pain When Standing Up From A Sitting Position

    There are several techniques as well as remedial procedures that you can use to help relieve lower back pain when standing up from a sitting position. In this section, we are going to discuss in excruciating details, some of the most practical ways to relieve your back pain when standing up from a sitting position. Peruse the article and get to know.

    Upper Back Pain When Sitting

    Lower back pain remedy: an illustrated guide

    Many people experience pain in their necks and upper backs as a result of craning forward while sitting to look at a computer monitor or phone display. Although its tempting to sprawl out and watch television for hours, this can also easily throw your back out of alignment.

    That uncomfortable feeling of stiffness when you finally do move or stand up is telling you something.

    Better posture makes a difference.

    Its likely your parents or teachers cautioned you to sit up straight when you were a child, and with good reason.

    Sitting in one position too long isnt healthy. Doing it with your back rounded forward, slumped to one side, or leaning too far back can put stress on parts of your spine for an extended period. This can lead to pain, as well as other issues.

    To help you sit straighter, position your body along an imaginary straight line extending the length of your back, out of your head, and up to the ceiling. Keep your shoulders level and dont let your pelvis rotate forward. Doing so causes a curve in your lower back.

    If you sit up perfectly straight, youll feel the small of your back stretch and lengthen.

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    Avoid Adaptive Syndrome As Much As Possible:

    It has been proven that sitting motionless for extended periods causes adaptive shortening syndrome, which is arguably one of the major culprits of lower back pain. Most people who sit for long periods daily have a relatively higher risk of developing back pain. Exercises have been known to counter the effects of the adaptive syndrome, and you can easily do them even in your office.

    Sitting Comfortably At Your Desk

  • 1Support your lower back. One of the biggest causes of back pain at work is not properly supporting your lower back. Its best to have an adjustable chair with support, but if this isnt available, you can modify your desk space to make yourself more comfortable.XTrustworthy SourceNational Health Service Public healthcare system of the UKGo to source
  • If your chair doesnt have back support, consider putting a pillow between your back and the chair to give your lower back extra support.
  • You can also use this pillow to hold in an ice pack to help further alleviate your pain.
  • A footrest may help to support your lower back further.XTrustworthy SourceNational Health Service Public healthcare system of the UKGo to source
  • 2Adjust your chair. Having a properly adjusted chair can reduce the strain on your back. Adjusting your chair to the proper height for you may not only reduce the strain on your back, but also relieve your discomfort.XTrustworthy SourceNational Health Service Public healthcare system of the UKGo to source
  • You should adjust the height of your chair so that you can type with your wrists and forearms straight and parallel to the ground.XTrustworthy SourceNational Health Service Public healthcare system of the UKGo to source A good way to judge if your height is correct is to see if your elbows are by your body and form an L-shape at your joint.XTrustworthy SourceNational Health Service Public healthcare system of the UKGo to source
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    The Number Of Hours Of Sitting Has Been Identified By The Cdc As A Major Health Risk On The Same Magnitude As Smoking

    Lack of activity leads to all kinds of chronic health conditions like: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and chronic musculoskeletal pains such as lower back and neck pain.

    So the #1 tip on how to relieve lower back pain when sitting is to get up and move around more often, ideally AT LEAST once every 60 minutes! But in the real world, that’s not always possible. So, here are some other tips you can use to allow you to sit longer without having lower back pain…

    On The Front With The Face Down

    Should I sit or lie down with lower back pain?

    Sleeping on the front is generally unhealthy when a person turns their head to the side, twisting the spine and placing additional stress on the neck, shoulders, and back.

    To avoid this, try lying face down. To do so comfortably:

  • Get into bed and carefully roll onto the stomach.
  • Place a slim pillow beneath the abdomen and hips.
  • Position a pillow or a rolled-up towel under the forehead to create enough breathing space between the mouth and mattress.
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    Raise Your Laptop To Eye Level

    One of the things that can contribute to Kyphotic posture is having the computer/laptop placed below eye level. This will cause you to look down and contribute to that Forward neck posture. To combat this get a Laptop stand or a stack of books to elevate your computer closer to your eye level. This ergonomic adjustment will FORCE you to look up!

    Dont Sleep On Your Stomach

    Sleeping on the stomach is really the worst sleep position because it puts too much strain on the muscles of your back.

    However, if you must sleep in that position, you can support the position more by sleeping with a pillow beneath your pelvis and lower abdomen. And always make sure the pillow is underneath your head and neck, never under your shoulders.

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    What Causes Low Back Pain

    Injuries are a common cause of low back pain. Examples include a muscle strain or spasm, ligament sprain, joint problem, or a slipped disk. A slipped disk, or herniated disk, has to do with your spine. It occurs when a disk between the bones of your spine swells or bulges and presses on your nerves. Twisting while lifting often causes this. Many people who have a slipped disk do not know what caused it.

    You may have low back pain after doing an activity you arent used to, such as lifting heavy furniture or doing yard work. Sudden events, such as a fall or a car wreck, can cause low back pain. You also may have low back pain from an injury to another part of your body.

    What To Know About Lower Back Pain When Sitting

    Pin on Lifestyle

    Medically reviewed by Emelia Arquilla, DO Written by Hana Ames on October 14, 2020. | From Medical News Today

    The cause of pain in the lower back while sitting may involve posture, an injury, or a health condition.

    Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. About 1 in 4 adults in the country have at least 1 day of back pain in any 3-month period.

    Here, we describe the causes, treatments, and prevention of lower back pain while sitting.

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    Medication From The Store

    There are two kinds of over-the-counter pain relievers that frequently help with back pain: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen. Both have some side effects, and some people may not be able to take them. Talk to your doctor before taking pain relievers. And don’t expect medication alone to solve your pain problem. Studies show you’ll probably need more than one type of treatment.

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