If you already suffer from back pain, you know that sitting down for long periods of time can exacerbate that pain to the point where it’s unbearable. If you work in a job where you sit for a good part of the day, then you also know that the sitting itself can cause back pain. This happens because the typical office chair does not encourage the ideal posture for enduring back health. Most office chairs allow one to slump and round the shoulders, causing injury and pain to the spine, upper and lower back, and legs. Over months or years, this bad posture can lead to serious problems, as anyone who has sat for a living can attest. So what can you do?
You might actually consider an office chair designed for back pain relief. There are such chairs on the marketplace, ergonomically designed to keep you sitting up straight and relieving pressure from the lower back and spine.
What to look for in an office chair is not always apparent, but for back pain relief it is important. First of all, you can either try to adjust your existing chair and workstation arrangement, or you look for an ergonomic solution at an office supply or physical therapy store. The former involves deciding what height your desk should be. You should be sitting where you are looking directly at your computer screen, straight on. This might mean you raise your monitor to eye-height, raise your desk, or adjust your chair height to the appropriate desired level.
Next, you will want to get your chair adjusted to accommodate the correct arm position. This involves sitting in your chair and making sure your elbows are resting on the work surface or desk at a 90-degree angle. If the angle is off, then raise or lower your chair until the degree is reached. Make sure there is comfortable room under your thigh where the edge of the chair hits it. If it is too constricting, consider putting your feet up on a slightly elevated box under your desk to relieve lower back pressure
Next, you will want to get your chair adjusted to accommodate the correct arm position. This involves sitting in your chair and making sure your elbows are resting on the work surface or desk at a 90-degree angle. If the angle is off, then raise or lower your chair until the degree is reached. Make sure there is comfortable room under your thigh where the edge of the chair hits it. If it is too constricting, consider putting your feet up on a slightly elevated box under your desk to relieve lower back pressure.
More than anything else, when it comes to office chair back pain relief, experimentation and common sense should be your guides. If you find that your shoulders are aching, or your lower back is seized up at the end of a long day at the computer, then start adjusting your desk, chair and posture until you get some relief. Consider too, that better posture at the desk will translate into a stronger back and healthier core, so walking, running and any other physical activity will become easier; this exercise will in turn lead to a better-feeling back and spine, and a more comfortable workday.
