Preventing Back Pain From Sitting Too Long
Instead of worrying about all the ways you’re doing it “wrong,” consider a few tweaks to your posture or routine here and there because the reality is you’re going to have days where you forget to get up and move around or you have a lot more work than usual.
Here are some easy changes you can make to avoid back pain from sitting too long:
Slouching vs. hunching, posture vs. holding erect: Often times we’re told not to slouch because it’s “bad posture” but it is natural for the spine to curve and for us to bend over our work at times for example, looking at something while sitting up in bed. What is not natural is for us to hold that position for long periods of time. The same goes for sitting at a computer desk or a dining room table and thinking we have to keep our shoulders back and everything upright. This causes the muscles in the neck and lower back to work extra hard to keep everything in place, again putting too much tension for a long period of time.
Laptop accessories: If you’re still fiddling around with that touchpad, it’s time to get a separate keyboard, mouse and lap desk. Bringing the equipment to youand not vice versaallows you to sit up straighter when you’re not hunched over your laptop. (A word to the wise: Don’t be tempted by keyboard wrist rests with gel. These gel inserts can compress or cut off blood flow to the finger flexor tendons and can lead to carpal tunnel problems.
Stop Looking For A Specific Diagnosis
Stop focusing on a specific diagnosis. Up to 85% of low back pain can be classified as non-specific. This means that the origin of your pain cannot be localized to one specific structure or problem.
While common diagnostic tests for low back pain can show the bones, discs, and joints with great detail, no test can tell the exact cause of your pain with 100% accuracy.
How To Relieve Lower Back Pain When Getting Up After Sitting For A Long Time
Getting in and out of a chair is a problem for a lot of people that have lower back pain.
Getting up from sitting can be particularly difficult after they’ve been sitting for awhile or if they’re sitting on a soft or low surface.
For for the majority of us as we age, the task of standing up from a seated position, or getting up and down from a toilet can become more and more of a challenge.
Fortunately, learning how to move properly can make getting up from sitting easier.
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How To Relieve Lower Back Pain When Sitting
The best strategy for preventing lower back pain when sitting, James says, is to get up and move around every 20 minutes, which is the length of time it usually takes for the creep process to set in.
If you’re unable to do this, James recommends changing positions as you sit, such as crossing one leg over the other or leaning to one side. “This will change the tissues in your back that are under load, which can prevent pain and delay the creep process,” he says.
You can also help relieve your lower back pain with the following:
Stretching. Doing stretching exercises that put your body in positions opposite of the sitting position may also help, James says. Researchers have found that just 15 minutes of daily stretching exercises can help increase your flexibility and reduce your lower back pain.
For one example, the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends laying on your back with your knees bent and slowly raising your left knee to your chest, holding it there for five seconds. Do the same with your right knee. Repeat this exercise 10 times for each leg.
Over-the-counter medications. Analgesics like aspirin or Tylenol , or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil or Aleve may help relieve pain and inflammation.
When To Seek Help
As great as it is to keep our bodies moving, many of us don’t have the option to pursue a more active job or lifestyle. That’s why it’s so important to seek help from a physiotherapist before things get worse! You should absolutely seek professional help if you’re experiencing these signs:
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Tingling and numbness
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Small niggles of pain that return frequently
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Your pain has lasted for over a week
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It’s getting unbearable to sit at your computer for very long
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There’s pain even when correcting your posture
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You’re constantly worrying about your pain
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Managing Low Back Pain
Manage back pain with regular exercise and professional help as requiredIf you have an attack of lower-back pain that is severe, continuous and not improving, assessment and treatment by a health care professional who focuses on the back or other musculoskeletal problems may help. These practitioners may use both active and passive techniques to help you feel better. Examples of passive techniques that may be used to get you moving include:
An active approach, like walking or water aerobics is usually the most effective. Exercise is often the best way to relieve lower-back pain.
Check with your health care provider before starting an exercise program.
Work with an expert. It may help to work with a health professional who can explain which activities are right for you.
Choose exercises you enjoy. Many activities can help relieve back pain. Try to include activities that strengthen the muscles around your trunk, your abdominal muscles as well as those in your lower back. Studies show the following activities help relieve back pain:
- Lifting light weights
Keep Core Muscles Toned
A surprising thing people dont always consider is your ab muscles! Your core muscles also help support your spine and help you to sit up straight. Weak core muscles can make it easier to hunch or slouch, which can cause pain.
Avoid sitting for long stretches at a time when you have back pain and see a spine specialist if the pain persists and affects your daily activities.
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Stretch Flex Or Even Fidget
Any kind of movement works from yoga poses to walking briskly around the room or running up several flights of stairs.
The NASA program included seated marches, standing calf raises, push-ups with hands on the desk, standing leg curls and neck, shoulder, and back stretches.
Chair Sit & Stand:
“Your body is always talking to you,” said Marceleus M. Venable, a personal trainer in Washington D.C.. and co-author of the NASA exercise program. “Your hands cramp, you have hip pain and neck pain … it’s saying: ‘hey, can you stretch me?’
No one set of exercises works for every body. Rather, people should focus on movements that challenge areas of weakness, strengthen multiple parts of the body at once and that they enjoy, says Katy Bowman, a Carlsborg, Wash., biomechanist and author of the book Move Your DNA.
“It’s not as simple as, everyone with back pain, do these four moves,” says Bowman. “It’s just like dietary nutrition. Just as you need a spectrum of dietary nutrients, you need a spectrum of movements that make the body strong from head to toe.”
Seated Ceiling Reach:
“I’m a big advocate of fidgeting,” she says. “Keep repositioning yourself you can’t really sit and not move for hours and hours a day and expect your body to be happy with that.”
Take Breaks And Exercise
One of the best ways to prevent any back pain or complications from sitting down is to limit the time that you spend in your chair. You can get up, go for a walk, move around the house, or lie down. The crucial thing to remember here is to avoid locking your body in one position for a long period.
Doctors may also recommend exercise and physical therapy for particularly severe cases of back pain, though they may also give you exercises that you can follow at home after your therapy sessions. Its important to be thorough and consistent with these exercises to restore the natural structure and support of your back.
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Other Potential Causes Of Lower Back Pain When Walking
Lower back pain when walking is not limited to these causes. Here are some other potential causes of lower back pain when walking:
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Cauda Equina Syndrome
The compression of nerve roots, commonly resulting from a herniated disc in the lumbar area.15
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Degenerative Disc Disease
Can be caused by the drying out of a disc, daily physical activity and sports, or injury.16
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Compression Fractures
When part of a bone in the spine, a.k.a. a vertebrae, collapses.17See Your Doctor for Lower Back Pain When Walking
You dont want to gamble with your back health. Call your doctor to advise you on any type of treatment. Heres what your doctor might recommend:
While youll always want to call your doctor for advice, especially if your pain is severe, there are also several things you can do at home that might help you manage lower back pain.
- Change up your exercise routine
- Apply heating pads and ice packs
- Buy a more supportive mattress
- Pay attention to your posture
Ways To Avoid Back Pain When Sitting At Your Desk
If you spend a fair amount of time sitting at a desk, looking at a computer, you may start to feel back pain, or neck and shoulder pain.
It may start as an odd twinge. But then start to become more recurring.
Or as we often see with many patients at the clinic a simple movement becomes difficult because you feel so stiff.
Sound familiar?
The reason for this pain is that our bodies are made to move. Our spines are full of joints to enable us to bend and twist in all directions.
So it is hardly surprising that sitting at a desk for hours in one static posture is likely to lead to trouble.
Some simple advice if you work at your desk for prolonged periods of time is to get up regularly to give your spine a break. Parents in particular need to be aware if their child is spending long periods of time on their computer.
3 ways you can help to avoid back pain when sitting at your desk.
1: Every 30 minutes, stand up or walk around briefly it only needs to be for a less than a minute to give your back a chance to move.
2: Make sure that your chair height is so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor of your PC, your PC and keyboard are straight in front of you, not to the side and that everything is at a comfortable distance from you.
Bring your PC monitor and keyboard closer to you if you feel you are overstretching.
These 3 tips will all help to make sitting at your desk more spine friendly.
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A Strong Back Is A Healthy Back
Some simple exercises can help keep back pain at bay. These exercises build not only strength, but also flexibility. For more tips and exercises to help your back, check out the Harvard Special Health Report Back Pain: Finding solutions for your aching back .
Lie on your back with both knees bent. Pull one knee toward your chest and hold it for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg. Do this 5 to 10 times with each leg.
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet on the floor. Pull both knees toward your chest and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to the starting position. Do this 5 to 10 times.
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet on the floor. Gently flatten your lower back to the floor and hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then relax. Do this 5 to 10 times.
Lie face down on the floor, your bed, or an exercise mat. Bend your torso upward and rest the weight on your forearms. Gently arch your lower back and hold for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Start on your hands and knees. Lift and straighten one leg, extending it gently backward without lifting it above your body level. Hold the position for 5 seconds. Do this 5 to 10 times with each leg.
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet on the floor. Gently raise your buttocks off the floor 4 to 6 inches, hold for 5 seconds, and return to the starting position. Do this 5 to 10 times.
Image: LaylaBird/Getty Images
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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Treat Your Back Pain And Improve Your Spinal Health At The Spine And Rehab Group
Back pain from sitting all day can be an early indicator of more severe complications and needs to be diagnosed immediately. While home remedies and exercises can help with pain management, these are preventive and palliative options that may not adequately address the cause of the pain. In cases of severe or persistent back pain caused by sitting all day, consultation with a medical professional is still the best option.
At The Spine And Rehab Group, we have extensive experience and familiarity with the different factors that can cause back pain. We pride ourselves on working with patients as a partner to improve their spinal health, treating their problems with efficiency and high-quality customer service. As a leading healthcare specialist in New York, our clinics are fitted with the latest innovations and knowledge needed to help you with your back problem. Contact us today to set up your consultation.
Best Sitting Position For Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy
Lower back pain during pregnancy is a common complaint and isnt surprising. After all, you are constantly gaining weight, abdominal muscles are beginning to relax in preparation for the growth of the baby, your hormones are busy relaxing the ligaments in the pelvic joints, and your center of gravity shifts as well. All these can result in back pain, especially at the lower part. T is essential to adopt the correct sitting position during pregnancy to reduce the stress on your spine and ease discomfort. Below are a few effective sitting tips to follow during pregnancy to help relieve your back pain:
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Ergonomics For Prolonged Sitting
Sitting for prolonged periods of time can be a major cause of back pain, cause increased stress of the back, neck, arms and legs and can add a tremendous amount of pressure to the back muscles and spinal discs. Additionally, sitting in a slouched position can overstretch the spinal ligaments and strain the spinal discs.
Besides being uncomfortable, poor sitting posture and workplace ergonomics over time can damage spinal structures and contribute to recurrent episodes of neck or back pain.
Here are some important guidelines to help make sure your work area is as comfortable as possible and causes the least amount of stress to your spine:
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How To Sit At Work If You Have Back Pain
This article was co-authored by Shira Tsvi. Shira Tsvi is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor with over 7 years of personal training experience and over 2 years leading a group training department. Shira is certified by the National College of Exercise Professionals and the Orde Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sports in Israel. Her practice is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 191,195 times.
Suffering from back pain is a common complaint among adults, especially those who have to sit long hours at work.XResearch source But sitting at a desk all day long with back pain can not only be uncomfortable, it may also make you less productive. By sitting properly in your work space and taking steps to relieve the pain, you may be able to effectively get through the day and alleviate any discomfort you are experiencing.
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