How Should We Sit
Many people think there is one good posture. But actually, there isnt just one way of sitting. Different ways of sitting will place different physical stresses on our bodies, and variety is good.
To work out if a posture is good or not, we can assess it based on several things:
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the amount of muscle activity required to hold the position
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the estimated stress on joints, including the discs between the vertebral bones of the spine
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whether the joints are in the middle of their range of movement or near the extreme
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the amount of fidgeting people do .
Given these criteria, research suggests there are three main options for how you can sit well at a desk. Each option has different pros and cons, and is suitable for different tasks.
D Myofascial Release Therapy
This therapy is most commonly known as foam-rolling. The main idea behind this therapy is to exert light stress on trigger points along the lumber area. This will reduce the tightness in your muscles and help in the quick recovery of a herniated disc.
On average, a herniated disc may take up to 6 weeks to heal fully, but this time frame is not fixed. Some may take more time to heal. You should also keep in mind that all exercises dont work equally good for everybody. So you should check all of them and decide which one is best for you. For this purpose, you can also ask your doctor to recommend some exercises.
Ensure Proper Lumbar Support
Lumbar support is crucial for helping your lower back maintain its natural curvature as you sit, which in turn reduces pressure build up on the spine.
To determine if you need additional lumbar support in your office chair, sit with your hips pressed against the backrest. If theres a sizable gap between your lower back and backrest, you need more lumbar support.
When it comes to external lumbar pillows, research shows that ones with a a cut out design works best in improving the comfort in both healthy individuals and those suffering from lower back pain.
An orthopedic back stretcher behind the chair can also be helpful to speed up healing of the back.
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Solutions For Back Pain From Sitting All Day
Sitting all day everyday on your butt for an extended period of time is evil, its the devil, its gonna make a dogs dinner out of your spine!
You maybe wondering why I have such a strong opinion when it comes to sitting? Well in this post I will tell you about some critical ways sitting impacts on your lower back, some of which I have experienced first hand working as a computer programmer in my profession. While Im here, I will also give you some ideas on what you can do to help yourself day to day which I hope you will find useful and hopefully give you the motivation to take some action in the form of trying the various ideas I put forward.
Using Pillows And Supports
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Take Advantage Of Those Armrests
Your upper extremities make up about 12% of your body mass. When left unsupported, the burden all goes to your spine, eventually leading to neck, shoulder, and lower back pain.
Always rest your arms on your chairs armrests or desk when typing or on the phone. Supportive armrests on an office chair can decrease the weight on your spine of your body mass.
Armrests are also great in providing leverage when you want to get up.
Sit In An Ergonomic Office Chair
The best thing you can do to help support your sacroiliac joints is to sit on a high-quality ergonomic office chair. While regular chairs can be beautiful by design, they do little or nothing to help support your spine. Not only do ergonomic chairs provide comfort, but they can also help maintain a neutral sitting posture.
If you are unable to change your office furniture, its important to find a position that relaxes your lower spine. An excellent way to do this is to place an ergonomic lumbar cushion or a rolled towel on your back, just above the beltline. Avoid slouching and sit upright whenever the back is not supported.
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Adjust The Height Of Your Chair
Sit as close to your desk as you comfortably can. With your upper arms parallel to your spine, place your hands on the surface of your desk. Your elbows should form a 90-degree angle. If your elbows hang lower than the surface of your desk, adjust the height of your chair either up or down until your arms form the correct angle.
How Should You Sit If You Have Lower Back Pain
Low-back pain or lumbar spine pain is a highly prevalent disorder associated with work absentees, incapability to complete the task and large health care costs. The healthcare expenditure for low back pain has been reported to range from $50 to $90.7 billion yearly in the US. It has grown over the years and mainly mid to older people were affected easily and particularly females. The high prevalence of low back pain may be explained by the fact that the condition is considered a multifactorial disease and therefore has several possible causes.
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Sitting Mindfully Within A Car
Why Is Dynamic Sitting Important
Our bodies need movement to stay healthy. In fact, its how we are built. According to Dr. McNally, Sitting in one position for a long time which the human body did not evolve to do can lead to loss of core strength due to of the abdominal musculature. This deconditioning leads to weakness in some muscles and tightness in other muscles . This imbalance affects the spinal support system and can lead to back pain. Frequent movement while sitting can help ameliorate these issues and lead to a stronger back.
A 2021 study published in BMC Public Health encourages active sitting, i.e. moving while at work. The study stated, Sitting almost all the time at work and not taking breaks is associated with an increased risk for self-reported poor general health and back/neck pain. People sitting almost all their time at work are recommended to take breaks from prolonged sitting, exercise regularly and decrease their leisure time sitting to reduce the risk for poor health.
The Ergonomics Health Association agrees. According to their website, active sitting allows a person to make very minor changes to their sitting patterns in order to keep muscle groups active. This can help increase core strength, improve posture, burn calories and make people less prone to back pain.
Lets start with the basics part of dynamic sitting involves simply getting up and moving around from time to time. Mayo Clinic offers some easy ways to make that happen:
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What Are The Symptoms Of Sacroiliac Joint Pain
If youve been diagnosed with sacroiliac joint pain, youre likely having pain on either side of your tailbone. This pain can radiate around your groin and may reach the backside of your legs. While the pain may happen on both sides, its often one-sided. Numbness and weakness in the legs are also symptoms of SI joint pain.
Depending on the severity of the condition, symptoms of sacroiliac joint pain may include:
- Pain in the lower back
- Pain in the hips and buttocks
- Pain that radiates from the pelvis to the backside of the thigh
- Numbness and tingling in the legs
Because these two joints provide support and stability, certain activities like sitting, standing, and walking, especially stair climbing, may worsen the pain. Certain transitional movements like standing from a sitting position may also aggravate the symptoms.
Always Keep Your Back At The Right Angle
Did you know that slouching is arguably the worst enemy of your lower back pain? It is highly recommended that you keep your back at a ninety-degree angle at all times. Adjust the back of your chair to about ten degrees further back to maintain this particular posture. Always have both your upper and lower back supported. Sit upright and have your shoulders relaxed and supported by the back of your chair.
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Get Help From A Professional:
Massage – Getting pain treatment through massage is another great way to get rid of pain. While this may be a luxury approach, a monthly massage can be affordable and effective. There are many types of massage options, so be sure to ask about targeting your areas of pain. With the rising accessibility of massage guns, you can also get a frequent and affordable targeted massage. You can get a very high-quality massage gun for a few hundred dollars.
Go to a Chiropractor – Finding a good chiropractor can be the key to relieving your pain. Chiropractors are trained in musculoskeletal manipulation and can identify the cause of your pain and specifically treat areas of pain with specialized procedures. They can also advise you on managing your pain in your day-to-day life and suggest other activities that may help.
Physical Therapy – Often treating patients that have suffered trauma or recovering from surgery, physical therapists and their staff are also more than qualified to help treat back pain. Overlapping with treatment from a chiropractor, seeking help from a physical therapist can be another highly effective option for treating back and neck pain caused by sitting.
How To Treat Your Lower Back Pain
Treatment for low back pain usually depends on whether your pain is chronic or acute. Generally, surgical treatment is only recommended if there is sufficient evidence of worsening nerve damage and this is when corrective surgical procedures may be recommended. Some of the conventional low back treatment options include the use of cold or cold packs, activity, strengthening exercises, physical therapy and the use of medications.
All experts agree that the key to recovery from acute back pain is to always have a normal curve of your spine. So, in this section, we want to provide you with effective and scientifically proven tips on how to sit appropriately when you are suffering from low back pain.
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Best Way To Sit With Sacroiliac Joint Pain
Certain movements can make SI joint pain worse. Its advised not to bring your knees to your chest forcefully, or bend the waist with your knees straight. Doing these movements may put pressure on the joints and prolong recovery. With that said, here are the best ways to sit with sacroiliac joint pain:
Alternatives To Traditional Office Chairs
While this article is about traditional office chairs, some people prefer more active, ergonomic chairs, such as a Swedish kneeling chair or a Swiss exercise ball.
While a traditional office chair is designed to provide complete support, these alternatives help promote good posture without a back support. They also require more active use of one’s muscles . If you have an injured back or other health problems, it is advisable to first talk with your doctor prior to using one of these types of chairs.
For more information, see Alternatives to Traditional Office Chairs.
There is no single type of office chair that is optimal for all patients, and people should determine their individual preference for comfort while following the guidelines explained in this article to promote good posture and back support while sitting in an office chair.
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Causes Of Lower Back Pain When Sitting
Your spine, also called your backbone or vertebral column, has 26 vertebrae that are separated by soft, spongy discs that serve as shock absorbers. The portion in your lower back area, called the lumbar spine, contains five vertebrae.
“Sitting puts the lumbar discs and other structures in your back under more pressure than other positions, such as standing or lying down,” says Jeremy James, DC, CSCS, a chiropractor who specializes in chronic back pain and founder of FITFOREVER.
Sitting for long periods of time exacerbates this, he explains, because of a condition called “creep,” where the ligaments and discs in your back deform over time when you’re sitting. Once creep sets in, those tissues are in a compromised state that can lead to pain.
Even if you have good posture, you may experience lower back pain if you remain seated for long periods of time because of the pressure it puts on your back muscles and spinal discs. Poor posture can make lower back pain even worse stretching ligaments, straining discs, and even damaging your spinal structures.
These are some of the other possible causes of lower back pain:
What Is Sacroiliac Joint Pain
Sacroiliac joint pain is pain in the lower back and buttocks caused by damage or injury to the sacroiliac joints. These joints are located between the hip and the spine. According to the Mayo Clinic, this condition is also known as sacroiliitis, an inflammation of one or both of the sacroiliac joints.
Image sourced from Alpine Spinal Rehab and Wikipedia.
Sacroiliac joint pain may cause discomfort in your lower back, buttocks, and sometimes down one or both legs. Unfortunately, this condition is hard to diagnose because it can be mistaken for symptoms of other back pain. Therefore, the best way to treat sacroiliitis is to consult with your doctor or physician.
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Why Do You Have Lower Back Pain When Sitting But Not Standing
Its very possible that when you sit down, your posture is compromised. It could be something that you do naturally well while up on your feet, but when you sit, it all goes away. It might take a little bit of practice, but over time, you will soon sit just the same way as you do when you stand.
The low back pain that was once inhibiting the comforts of your daily life will be gone out the window.
Best Home Treatments For Herniated Disc
Although we recommend that you visit the doctor if you are in extreme pain. However, if you are facing slight discomfort. Then, you can follow natural ways to treat your herniated disc quickly. These natural remedies and treatments are proved, and they dont have any side effects. So, here are some ways to soothe your herniated disc.
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Upper Back Pain When Sitting
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.
