Back Support When Sitting

While sitting is easier than standing, sitting for long periods of time with poor posture can be tough on the back. When you sit, you transfer the full weight of your upper body onto your buttocks and thighs. Good posture is important to transmit those loads appropriately. Consider getting up to stretch or elevate your feet if you have to sit for prolonged periods. This will help with blood circulation to your legs and prevent pooling of blood in your legs.

For people with back pain, sitting for prolonged periods can be particularly challenging. This is why having adequate back support when sitting is so important. Here's why.

How we sit
Good posture occurs when the spine is in a neutral position—when the normal curves of the spine have the least amount of stresses on them and support is evenly shared by the discs, bones, and ligaments. However, most people do not maintain good posture when sitting. This increases pressure on the lower back and can cause or worsen back and neck pain.

The key is to maintain good posture while sitting. But it's more than just sitting up straight. Check out your posture right now, are your:

• Feet flat on the floor (not crossed or tucked under you)?

• Back and shoulders against the backrest of the chair?

• Elbows and lower arms resting lightly on the armrests?

• Shoulders relaxed and slightly dropped (not hunched forward)?

• Hips slightly higher than your knees?

• Knees bent comfortably (there should be 2-4 inches between the back of your knees and the edge of the chair)?

• Eyes facing the computer screen?

It is important that all three normal back curves be present while you are sitting, especially for people who sit for long periods of time. A small, rolled-up towel or a lumbar support pillow is a great way to help you maintain good sitting posture and avoid spinal stress.

Add support to your chair
Does the chair you are sitting on have enough lumbar support? The backrest should fit into the natural curve of your lower back, filling in the space between your back and the back of the chair. This helps avoid excess pressure on the spine and makes it easier to maintain good sitting posture.

Adequate lumbar support also helps prevent muscle fatigue, which causes many people to lean their heads and upper backs too far forward or to slouch downward. With good lower back support, spinal muscles are relaxed and the spine is able to maintain its neutral position.

Many chairs have built-in lumbar support; some even allow you to adjust the amount of support by turning a knob on the side of the chair. This is a nice feature if more than one person uses the chair, as it allows each person to custom fit the support to his or her body.

If your chair does not have a backrest with adequate lumbar support, use a rolled-up towel or consider purchasing a lumbar cushion. Relax The Back offers many these products including the Contour Lumbar/Cervical Cushion by Relax The Back. The Contour Lumbar/Cervical Cushion by Relax The Back has temperature sensitive memory foam that conforms to your body's contours and relieves pressure on your lower back or neck areas.

Contour Lumbar/Cervical Cushion by Relax The Back
Visit www.relaxtheback.com

Relax The Back also carries lumbar support rolls and other support devices like the Self-Inflating Backrest, which expands to fit the lower back and enables you to adjust the pressure and firmness of the support while it is in use. It also has the added benefit of being ultra portable and can fit into a briefcase or purse.

By making sure your spine has all the support it needs, you can end your day in comfort instead of pain.