Sitting Safely

I see more and more patients in my office that sit at a computer or work at a desk.  They typically have more back and neck pain than those that do more active jobs that involve lifting.  There are some rules about how to sit "safely" (dumb as it sounds) and doing so can make all the difference.

Here is a list of tips that can help you sit safer....

1. Take breaks often, standing up and walking around the room for a few minutes.. One every half an hour is ideal. If you are sitting and writing, be sure to look up and look around every few minutes.


2. Your chair should have a back as straight as possible, and you should be able to comfortably bend your legs so that your lower back can gently arch forward.

3. You should have low back support for that gentle forward arch from either a low back support or, if none is available, you can achieve the same effect by rolling up a towel to about 3” in diameter, and placing it in the "small of " your back. A properly designed low back support is preferable but the towel will do just fine if that is all you have.



4. While working at a desk, be sure that your seat is high enough to allow your shoulders to be relaxed. If you are using a computer, be sure the keyboard is in a position that also allows your shoulders to relax. Make sure that the monitor is at a position wherein the middle of the screen is at or slightly above eye level to allow your proper neck curve to be maintained as well.

5. Don't slouch! Enlist your spouse or other family members and/or co-workers to remind you when they see you slouching. Give them a copy of this article and offer to do the same for them. Make a game out of it if that helps. You might buy a few lunches, but if you are vigilant, you will get a few free lunches yourself as well. It will likely all come out in the wash and in the meantime, you will all be healthier for it.

6. If you haven't already, start walking! You can be sure that your body has not evolved to accommodate our more sedentary lifestyles so you must evolve your behaviors by exercising your body every single day to prevent the inevitable damage that modern habits have created! 30-45 minutes of daily walking will add years of health to your spine. If you have gym facilities available, good for you! If not, at least walk every day. You hear this all the time, but it is true. Before you start any serious exercise program, you really must have a complete physical and spinal exam to prevent any avoidable injuries.

7. If you read in bed, stop. Sleep experts say that it is counterproductive in terms of dealing with insomnia. Posture experts (like me), say that it is nearly impossible to sit properly in bed without slouching and without propping up your head, unless yours is one of those adjustable type beds that fold up. If you simply must read in bed, then make sure you elevate the book to eye level with pillows and give yourself good upright back support so that you don't slouch. A tall order for a bed...

8. While watching TV, sit at a level with the screen so your head isn't being held in a forward position. If you have to prop up the back of your head to see the screen, change it!

9. Get your spine checked frequently to be sure that your patterns are not setting you up for serious problems in the future.

None of these seem that hard. The hard part is doing them consistently and indefinitely - incorporating them into your everyday life. It is a challenge, but it gets easy once these "good habits" become second nature.

Most of our back problems and pain, we cause ourselves.  We can be our own worst enemy, but with a little education and a little work, we can also be our own best friend!