Sitting All Day Could Be the Cause of Your Lower Back Pain
You don't have to be active to develop lower back pain. Sitting stresses your spine and may cause back issues, particularly if you spend hours in a chair every day. Fortunately, making a few changes to your routine can help you avoid back pain caused by sitting.
How Sitting Causes Lower Back Pain
Remaining in the same position too long may stiffen and strain muscles, joints, and tissues in your back. Unfortunately, sitting for long periods has become a normal part of life for many people. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, many adults 20 and older are sedentary (move very little) for about 9.5 hours every day.
Whether you're catching up on social media, watching TV, or working, sitting increases pressure on your spine. The increased pressure tightens your muscles, plays a role in inflammation, and may cause chronic lower back pain.
Muscles need frequent activity to stay strong. Long periods of sitting could weaken core muscles that support the spine and are essential for good posture. Sitting also tightens muscles in the hips and hamstrings.
Your spine looks a little like an "S" when you look at it from the side. The curved shape of the spine:
- Protects Bones and Discs in the Spine by Absorbing Shock
- Helps Distribute Weight Evenly
- Provides Flexibility Needed to Bend, Stretch, and Twist
Poor posture while sitting flattens the natural curves of your spine and increases pressure on spinal discs, while straining ligaments and soft tissues. You may experience lower back pain when sitting if you slouch, cross your legs, round your shoulders, or lean forward. Sitting in a chair that doesn't offer good back support could also cause pain.
Sitting all day increases your risk for subluxations, or misalignments of the bony vertebrae in your spine. Subluxations increase pressure on muscles, ligaments, and tendons and press on nerves. Unfortunately, subluxations don't go away on their own.
Improving Lower Back Pain Caused by Sitting
Although sitting may be unavoidable in some cases, you can do a few things to reduce your risk for back pain, including:
- Taking Breaks. Schedule short breaks every 30 to 60 minutes. Stand, stretch, or go for a walk to decrease stress on your spine during your breaks. Need a simple stretching exercise? Lift your hands above your head, then slowly lower your upper body toward the floor. Touch the floor if you can or hold on to your lower legs to experience the stretch.
- Standing More. Could some of your daily activities be accomplished while standing? Try reading emails, talking on the phone, or watching TV while standing. A standing desk is a good choice if you work behind a desk. Standing desks can be raised to accommodate standing or lowered for sitting. Alternating between standing and sitting gives your back a break.
- Improving Your Posture. Slumping on a chair or sitting on the floor increases pressure on the lower back, according to a research study published in Bioengineering in 2023. Researchers noted that sitting on the floor was even worse for the spine than sitting slumped on a chair. Practicing good posture when sitting can help you avoid low back pain. Keep your feet flat on the floor and relax your shoulders. Make sure your knees are at the same level as your hips. Don't lean forward while you're sitting. Position your laptop or computer monitor at eye level to reduce leaning.
- Stretching and Strengthening Muscles. Simple stretches, like lunges, help keep muscles and tissues flexible, while planks, crunches, and other exercises strengthen core muscles in the abdomen, back, and pelvis that support the spine. Improving core strength reduces stress on discs and ligaments and helps you maintain good posture when sitting.
- Visiting the Chiropractor. Your chiropractor can help you manage lower back pain with adjustments, massage and other treatments. Adjustments correct subluxations, ease pain, reduce inflammation, improve range of motion, and decrease tension on muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Massage loosens tight tissues and enhances flexibility in the back.
Struggling with lower back pain? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the chiropractor.
Sources:
Keck School of Medicine of USC: Achy Back? You May Be Sitting Too Much, 5/27/2020
https://keck.usc.edu/news/achy-back-you-may-be-sitting-too-much/
American College of Sports Medicine: How Do Americans Spend Their Sedentary Time?, 1/24/2022
https://www.newswise.com/articles/how-do-americans-spend-their-sedentary-time
BMC: Bioengineering: Biomechanical Effects of Different Sitting Postures and Physiologic Movements on the Lumbar Spine: A Finite Element Study, 9/7/2023
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10525568/
Spine Health Foundation: Sedentarism and Its Effects on the Spine, 12/4/2020
https://spinehealth.org/article/sedentarism-and-its-effects-on-the-spine/
Harvard Health Publishing: The Dangers of Sitting, 8/13/2020
