Let's be honest: humans aren't built to sit around all day. Our ancestors moved constantly, a far cry from the eight or more hours a day that many of us spend in one place. While standing desks and folding treadmills can minimize your sedentary lifestyle if you're sitting, the best office chairs for back pain will help you stay fit.
Even if you're active outside of work, meeting your fitness goals, and staying physically active, prolonged sitting can have a significant impact on your physical and mental health. Studies have shown that prolonged sitting can damage your metabolic health and increase your risk of premature death. Sitting in the wrong chair can cause acute or chronic back pain.
To get a better idea of what to look for in a comfortable and supportive office chair, we spoke to physical therapists and evaluated a variety of options. Read on to learn more about how to find the right chair for you and check out our selection of the best office chairs for back pain in 2022.
Sitting is such a simple activity, yet it causes us so much discomfort and even pain. Why? Well, according to Lalita McSorley, lead physical therapist at Brentwood Physio, many of the chairs we use aren't designed with our spine in mind.
"When you're not sitting up straight, your muscles have to work harder to keep you in that position, which can lead to fatigue and pain," says McSorley. “When you sit, you have a C-shaped spine, which is not ideal. Your head weighs as much as a bowling ball, and when you sit with your neck at a 45-degree angle, about 55 pounds of force is applied to your shoulders and back muscles. "
That's why when patients come to McSorley with low back pain, she first recommends that they experiment with office chair settings to find a position that makes them feel better. While she doesn't see ergonomic chairs as a panacea, McSorley says they can improve posture and reduce back pain.
“Office chairs are ergonomically designed to distribute pressure more evenly,” she explains. "Adjustable features like height and lumbar support help create a more comfortable sitting position."
The Internet is flooded with useless office equipment that promises to make your work environment more comfortable than you could imagine—so how do you tell the best from the rest?
As physiotherapist Dave Candy says, “The more chair adjustments, the better.” This way you will be able to find the angle that works best for your body and fine-tune if necessary.
“At a minimum, their chairs should have adjustable height, adjustable tilt, and adjustable armrests,” Candy suggests. "The amount of 'lumbar support' needed varies from person to person, but in general it should fill the void behind the lower back without pushing the lower back out more than its natural curve."
If you experience constant soreness at the end of your workday, it might be time to invest in an ergonomic office chair. The best office chairs for back pain have adjustable features like height and lumbar support to make it easier to find a comfortable position. Spending a few minutes adjusting your chair will pay off in the long run by reducing pain and improving your posture. Stretching, exercise, and the right mattress can also go a long way if your back is bothering you.
Post time: Jan-05-2023