Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Sitting more comfortably

As an office worker there's little I do everyday besides work at my computer. If only I could sit comfortably I'd be much happier with the job.  There are enough causes of back pain that what works for one person might not for the next, but here are some of the things I've done which help me. If they don't help you, just remember to keep on experimenting. Every 5-10% percent improvement is worth it!

1) mkenzie back roles help a lot. Almost any chair is made better by adding one. I've also found that paper towel roles can be useful, as they compress less than the mkenzie rolls.

2) Some amount of reclining can help. The worst possible thing is to sit in a chair that forces you to slump forward. 

3) getting your feet under you can help. IE if you have a chair without arms you can sit with your legs wide and your feet directly below your rear, pushing lightly on the ground. I find spending at least some of my sitting time this way helps. It's especially helpful if you have to sit in a bucket seat.

4) standing some of the time really helps. I have an elevated desk (about 4 feet off the floor) and this allows me to stand for 30 minutes at a time. It took a long time to adjust to this, but it's clear that it helps a lot to not sit all the time. On the other hand, it's critical to not stand all day. Esp. later in the day I need to mix standing with sitting.

5) trying the chair out before buying is pretty important. Just because it's expensive doesn't mean they made it lower back pain friendly! After many years of looking for  a better chair I've come to the conclusion that a $10 yoga ball from walmart is the best option for me.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

As a local Orlando Chiropractor I agree with all these tips. You would not believe the high percentage of people that slouch their back when sitting at their computers and having the proper chair and positioning is very key to reduce pain or avoid it.

-Dr. Erik Roach

nahina said...

Thank you for your information. Not only improper sitting but also improper lifting, lack of exercise, poor mattress quality can lead to back pain.

Lack of exercise leads to weak muscles, which is one of the major reasons for back pain. If muscles are not maintained with regular exercise, they are much more likely to suffer from an overuse injury while doing yard work, house cleaning, a sporting activity, or just playing with your children or grandchildren.

Improper lifting is another of the most common reasons for back pain. It is so important to hold anything heavy close to your body when lifting it up. The chiropractors advise to bend the knees and lift with the legs. They also advise not to bend over at the waist and lift with the back.

Poor posture is a problem that is becoming more and more widespread in our society due to the amount of time most of us spend sitting. Allowing the head hang in front of shoulders puts tremendous stress on your spine which eventually causes a lot of pain. Most chiropractors focus on improving spinal posture which will relieve a lot of pain.

Recently I have visited a website which is very informative and full of back pain information. Here I would like to share it with you: http://www.back-pain-treatment-and-relief.com/reasons-for-back-pain.html