Problems in Proper Ergonomics - Slouching At Your Desk

spinal stenosis

According to recent research, almost one-third of the population spends more than 10 hours a day sitting. That is a lot of time to spend in a chair. Especially when research has also shown that sitting all day can be detrimental to your health - in particular your lower back. In fact, the majority of lower back pain is most likely due to improper sitting positions.

It's no surprise that more than 1-in-3 people suffer from lower back pain. When sitting at a desk, hunched over the computer, or even playing video games, there is a tendency to lean forward and slouch. This can also cause neck and shoulder pain. Our bodies were just not designed for long periods of sedentary activity. Unfortunately, most of us have no choice about the amount of time spent sitting at the desk. The best we can do is sit in the proper ergonomic position.

What is the best way to sit?

It turns out that sitting upright at a ninety degree angle may not be best either. Research by the Radiological Society of North America studied the effects of three different sitting positions on spinal compression and alignment: slouching; sitting at a 90 degree angle; and sitting in a open, relaxed, slightly leaning back position. After measuring spinal movement across all three positions, it turned out that sitting upright placed the most strain on the spine, resulting in disk compression. Slouching is not so great either, however. Sitting in a slouch also caused strain on the spine, especially the lower spinal area, and caused a reduction in spinal disk height. So what is the best sitting position? In fact, sitting in an open-angled (125- to 135-degree) posture was found to place the least amount of strain on the lower back.

An open posture leads to less back pain

So, the best thing to do to avoid back problems is not to slouch in your desk chair. However, don't sit up straight like your mother told you, either. Instead, adopt an open sitting posture where the angle between your thighs and body is greater than 90 degrees. There are many types of chair options for doing this including saddle-style chairs, such as the Hag Capisco, or seats which allow for dynamic movement in all directions, such as the Swopper Chair. Finally, the best thing you could do for your back is get up out of your seat often and move around - standing is the best sitting position of all.