10 Problems with your Chair that Can Contribute to Lower Back Pain

If you work with a computer constantly, drive long distances, or are sitting on the telephone talking to your clients all day, this next blog post will be beneficial for you.

There is a technique of sitting, and your chair has a lot to do with it.

When you sit in a chair, your muscles should be relaxed, and you should have good posture while you sit. An ergonomically correct chair will work with you to ensure that you are sitting correctly and are pain free by the end of the day. Sitting in an ill-fitting chair puts added stress to your body. It can cause fatigue and strain to your muscles. A great chair will allow your body to relax and give you support when your posture is not at its best.

1. Not using a Lumbar Support- this causes added stress to the lower bck. A Lumbar Support is often “C”shaped to conform to the curves of your lumbar spine. A Lumbar Support allows you have the correct lumbar lordosis in your back. There are so many lumbar supports out there with a common goal of making sure you have good posture when you sit. For an office chair lumbar support, try the SitBack Rest. It has slight wings that will hold your midback area in place along with giving you a lordosis in the lumbar spine. If you want something that is less bulky, you can try the SlimRest Back Cushion which is ideal for automobiles. You can also get lumbar support cushions for which you control how much pressure and support you want for your lower back: The Inflatable lumbar support cushion. Recently, we introduced our readers to a back rest that provides ice or heat therapies while you sitting. If you suffer from chronic lower back pain, this back rest has a spot for hot or cold therapy pack- This sitback rest PLUS is very convenient and handy.
   Watch Arc4life's YouTube Video about how to use a lumbar cushion here:
   
   
2. The arm rests are not at the right level. If your armrest is too high or too low they can cause discomfort while you are sitting. Your elbows should reach the arm rests, therefore decreasing the stress on your shoulder muscles. Ideally, your arms should be flexed 75-90 degrees for optimal posture.
   
3. Back rest is scooped in the upper portion of the chair. The backrest should be flat in the upper portion. This can cause you to lean forward or slouch, which is not good for back posture. A chair with a flat back will ensure that as the day progresses and you get more tired, your posture stays in good form.
   
4. Back rest is too vertical
   
5. Backrest is too short
   
6. Jack knifing effect at the hips and knees.This position can exaggerate the curve in the lumbar spine which increase pressure on the lower back muscles and ligaments, creating pain and discomfort. Your knees should be even with your knees or slightly elevated for good posture.
   
7. High front edge of the seat. This can decrease circulation to the legs and feet
   
8. Seat Bottom is too soft in the center. This creates a “bucket effect”- this effect places more stress and load on your outer thighs, instead of the bony joints of your buttocks.
   
9. Feet are not in the right position when sitting. Make sure that when you are sitting, your feet are touching the floor flat. If you are uncomfortable with this, use a foot rest or even a phone book to elevate your feet.
   
10. Overall chair size is not right for you. If you are petite person an over size chair is not going to help you or be comfortable.

Making changes to how we sit can be difficult and discomforting at first. It can even cause soreness because your body is not used to changing the way our muscles are being used. However the effort put into making sure you have good posture while sitting is well worth it. You back will thank you in the long term.

Source: Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction, by Travell and Simons

Photo Source: Joanie Malone


Additional Resources:

• How to treat tight muscles in the lower back
  
• Promote proper posture with the posture correction: no more slouching
  
• The Inflatable Lumbar Back Rest
  
• How to Prevent Neck Pain At Your Desk Job
  
• Components of A Comfortable Work Station
  
• How to Properly wear a lumbar Support Belt for Moderate- Severe Lower back pain
  

Visit Arc 4 Life for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products, lower back supports and cushions.



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A look at Ideal Posture from the side and from the rear

One of the key indicators of poor health can be a person's posture. Today I want to go over proper posture and what it really means. From the side and from the back (see below Figure A and Figure B)- what should you look like if you have perfect ideal posture- that is the key question.


When in a standing position, muscles are not activated to maintain proper posture especially if standing straight.

According to Kendall and McCreary* there are certain points on our bodies that are key to determine if we have ideal posture. From the side position, as shown in Figure A, a line drawn from the head to the toes (also known as a plumb line) will pass the following target points:

1. Earlobe
2. midway through the shoulder joint
3. midway through the trunk
4. through the greater trochanter (see figure C below)
5. slightly in front of the lateral malleolus (see figure D below)

Figure C: Greater Trochanter
Figure D: Lateral Malleolus

If we look at an individual from the rear aspect as in Figure B, the plumbline should fall directly in the middle of the body, and we should see the shoulder and the pelvis align on the right and left. The head should be in a neutral position, the hips should be aligned and the feet should be turned outward slightly.

*Kendall FP, McCreary EK. Muscles: Testing and Function.. 3rd ed. Baltimore, Md: Williams and Wilkins; 1983

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