How Does Sitting Cause Back Pain?

With the advance of modern technology we tend to be sitting a lot more than we used to. Everything we need is often at our finger tips-we change the TV channel by remote, pay our bills using a tablet and even buy the weekly groceries via our mobile phone. Add to that the sitting that a lot of us do at work as well as during the commute there and back and you’ll most likely be quite alarmed at the amount of time we spend sitting down.

Poor sitting posture can often be the cause of back pain. When we don’t seat ourselves correctly and safely, the spine is subjected to abnormal stresses that over time can lead to early wear and tear of spinal structures, reduced function, poor health and chronic back pain.

Here are some healthy sitting tips to avoid back pain:

• Sit with your height distributed evenly through both seat bones (ischium) – pay particular attention to this when driving as it’s easy to.
• Don’t slouch! When you slouch, the weight distribution shifts from your strong seat bones to your tail bone (sacrum) which is not designed to withstand this amount of pressure and back pain is a
• Remove your wallet from your back pocket before sitting as this creates an uneven surface to sit on and will cause your pelvis to tilt and cause back pain.
• Avoid crossing your legs or sitting with them curled up on the sofa. If you must do this then limit the length of time you spend in the one position and alternate sides.
• Use a foot stool or lumbar roll (or both) at your desk to help keep you in the correct posture while working and make sure you take regular breaks which include a short walk and gentle stretch. Doing this will dramatically reduce the change of you suffering back pain.

Being aware of your posture during all your daily activities is the best way to ensure you are using good body mechanics. It’s easy to incorporate the tips mentioned above into daily life and soon they will become second nature to you. Give them a try and see if you notice a difference.