One of the most common questions I am asked by desk-based workers is if their office chair is causing them backpain, and if there is a ‘right’ kind of chair.
There is no perfect chair - different chairs will feel more or less comfortable for different people. You could spend pennies or £200 on a chair, and still experience back pain. The problem is usually not the chair, but how long you remain seated in it.
Our bodies and our backs are simply not designed to be sedentary for long periods of time. Even if you do lots of exercise in your free time, there’s lots of research to show that sitting for long periods is bad for your health. In the UK, it’s not uncommon for people to spend more than seven hours a day sitting. A study of more than 800,000 people found that people who sat the most experienced a 112% increased risk of diabetes, 147% increased risk of cardiovascular disease and a 49% increase in death from any cause, compared to those who sat the least.
There is a lot you can do to improve our sitting experience. Improving the support to your lower back and considering the angles you work at (in relation to your keyboard, desk and monitor) will reduce muscle fatigue.
However, the truth is we really must move more to decrease the likelihood of mechanical lower back pain and ischaemic muscle pain (pain caused by poor blood supply as a result of posture). Regular exercise also helps improve cardiovascular health and avoid the illnesses that are more prevalent among sedentary workers. I know it can be hard when you’re faced with deadlines and work pressures to manage to sit less, but the truth is you only get one back, and your health is really important.
There’s no need to install a treadmill next to the desk, but try to make frequent efforts to get up and speak to a colleague, make a cup of (or round of!) tea, do some photocopying, do a circuit of your floor, etc, every 45 minutes or so. Whatever you need to do to keep moving your body - look left and right, roll your shoulders, stretch your neck, stand up for a bit – just keep active!
You’ll also find some lower spinal exercises/stretches in my previous blogs - on my website (www.sussexosteo.com). If you have a side room or a rest room at your workplace, or you don’t mind your colleagues watching, why not try giving these a whirl at some point during the day.
More companies are now investing in adjustable desks that can be raised or lowered easily, which allows people to work standing as well as sitting. Another option is sitting on a swiss ball, which encourages better posture and keeps you a bit more mobile.
It is also worth considering that the longer you sit, the more unaware of our posture we can become. Before long, you may be slowly slipping down your chair, placing greater stress through your lower back, and as a consequence your mid back and shoulders will start to flex unnaturally.
Finally, when you get home from a desk job, where possible don’t spend all your evening sitting too. Going for a walk, playing with the kids and doing any form of exercise will help. Vary your routine and try engaging with people more and gadgets less, if you can.
Your chair is a small part of a big picture, and by addressing the bigger picture, your chair will become a less significant factor.
Chris Brooks
07811 388557
sussexosteo@gmail.com
www.sussexosteo.com
facebook.com/chrisbrooksosteopathy