Back pain is a common problem and affects almost everyone. One of the ways to avoid or overcome back pain is to maintain the recommended posture in daily activities.
Just like at home, while driving or even outdoors, one should try to make sure that they maintain the correct posture in their office or workplace. Sitting in office chairs for prolonged periods is one of the key reasons that lead to back pain, or even worsen existing back pain. This is mainly because when you are sitting in your office chair, you have a static posture, and the same can put stress on your back, legs, shoulders, and arms.
So when one is sitting in the office chair, it is recommended that one maintain the correct posture, and the same can go a long way in avoiding back pain. People sometimes tend to slouch while sitting in their office chair, but this can put undue stress on the discs and structures surrounding the spine, thereby making back pain worse.
Therefore, when using the office chair, one should try to ensure that it makes optimal use of the backrest. And one should adjust the chair to match the requirements of one’s own body, as this will not only make one feel more comfortable, but also ensure less spinal discomfort.
This could start with placing the office chair at the proper height, and the same would largely depend on the height of a person and also the height of the desk. You should adjust the height of your office chair so that when you are sitting at your workstation with your arms parallel to your spine; the elbow should rest on the desk at a 90o angle. Similarly, when sitting at a desk, you should be able to easily slide your fingers under your thighs. If that’s not the case, a footrest could be used, and that would make the workstation more ergonomic. Alternatively, if one is exceptionally tall and there is more than a finger width between the thighs and the saddle, the height of the saddle should be raised to make adjustments accordingly.
Lower back support is also extremely important to ensure that one is comfortable in the office chair and thus prevent back pain. A cushion could be kept to support the lower back, and although this would slightly arch the lower back, it would also ensure that one does not slouch forward if tired over time. Slouching forward can cause back pain, as this stresses the spine and even the lumbar discs.
The computer screen should also be positioned so that your gaze falls right in the center of the screen, and this would minimize strain on your back. In the same way, the armrest of the office chair should be adjusted in such a way that when resting the elbows on the armrests, it slightly raises the shoulders. While this would make your upper back comfortable, it would also reduce the chances of slouching forward while working at your desk.
Even if one uses a very comfortable office chair, sitting for a long time in the same position can be stressful on the spine. It is always better to walk for at least a couple of minutes every half hour. Similarly, if one could walk twenty minutes every now and then, it would bring important nutrients to the spine and facilitate better spinal health.
