Can a Better Chair Help with Back Pain?

If you work a job that requires you to sit at a desk, you have felt back pain from sitting. Full stop, no maybes, your back has hurt from your desk chair at some point. The problem is that our spines are not adapted for sitting. Our legs, hips, and spines form a sequential ladder that, while incredibly strong, is also extremely sensitive to imbalance.

If you want to test that theory (this is not recommended!) try to walk around your neighborhood with one tennis shoe and one thin flip flop. A short walk with one leg longer than the other will have your whole spine hurting. This is because as one side of your hips is lifted, the other side of your spine elongates, and the high-hipped side of the sine compresses in an attempt to balance the body so you don't fall over. Those compensating muscles get fatigued. The same balancing act happens from front to back when your hips are tilted too far forward or backward.

Spines Need Support

Our spines are an amazing system that has a remarkable capacity for self-correction, but all of that correcting doesn't come without discomfort. The movement that your spine does to protect the macro of your nervous system can cause small-scale pinched nerves and sore muscles.

There are ways to avoid or reduce this pain. Just like you would make sure your shoes are the same thickness and fit well before going on a walk, your chair should properly support the natural function of your spine.

As you have already seen, the spine isn't designed for sitting. When humans stand, the spine makes a curve, best defined as an s. The lower back goes in, then flares out at the shoulders, then makes another curve in before curving back up into the head. When you sit, that lower back curve at the lumbar vertebrae naturally pushes out and compresses the discs between the vertebrae. This causes your shoulders to slouch forward, and your neck to straighten, while your head is bent up at a more severe angle, rather than a graceful curve.

All of this misalignment causes soreness and fatigue. Over time it can actually lead to permanent changes in the way your spine forms.

You Need to Move!

There are solutions to this problem. The most important is to change positions. If you are sitting for 8 hours, you should be getting at least once per hour and walking around or standing for a few minutes to take some pressure off. Do a few stretches while you are up if you can.

The other extremely important step is to get a chair for back pain. The most basic solution is a fairly firm chair with good lumbar support at the lower back. While most people want an office chair that is heavily cushioned, this is the opposite of what you need. Excess cushion compresses, meaning nothing is holding your spine where it should be. You want just enough cushion to prevent pressure points. If you get uncomfortable from your hard seat, that is probably a good cue to get up and move around.

While a lumbar support is helpful, it only solves the problem if you are sitting properly, and leaning against the backrest. If you lean forward to have a better position for your eyes on the screen, your back will slouch over, and you are just as likely to get sore. The best chair for back pain would have a mechanism that encourages you to sit up properly, even when you are leaning forward.

There really is no substitute for proper spinal support. Without it, You will hurt every day. Chiropractors and massage therapists are expensive. Investing in the right chair could not only save you a fortune in doctor bills, but it could also change your life every day!