Using an Ergonomic Chair for Back Pain Relief
When you think of the word “ergonomic,” chances are what comes to mind are traditional office chairs. Did you know that other types of chairs can be ergonomic, as well? The term doesn’t refer to a type of chair as much as it does to the overall design intended to maximize efficiency and minimize stress on the body.
Today, we’re exploring using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief whether you’re at work or relaxing at home. Read on, and learn how an ergonomic chair for lower back pain relief is exactly what you’ve been missing!
What Is an Ergonomic Chair?
Whether it’s sitting in your living room watching tv, working at your office desk, or curled up with your favorite book, chances are you spend more of your day sitting down than you realize. Over time, that sitting takes its toll on our bodies if we aren’t using the right kinds of chairs or practicing bad sitting habits. Using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief is one of the best ways to combat the negative impacts of sitting for long periods of time.
What is an ergonomic chair, though? The term “ergonomics” refers to the study of human beings in their working environment. It’s a field of study that examines how tasks or objects like zero gravity chairs and home office chairs can be designed or arranged to complement natural human movement and interaction. These chairs are designed with the human body in mind, taking into account spinal alignment, support, comfort, and bodily movement.
How an Ergonomic Chair for Lower Back Pain Helps
Now that you know what these types of chairs are, let’s talk about using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief. Experienced by an estimated 80% of all adults at some point in their lifetime, back pain is all-too-common. Alongside common causes of back pain such as improper lifting or overexertion, using the wrong kind of chair can also have a profound effect on your sitting habits, the pressure it puts on your body, and lead to you experiencing back pain.
Instead of a traditional recliner or a boring office work chair that does nothing to support your body the way you need, you should consider ergonomic alternatives. Using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief helps because it promotes:
- Hip and pelvic alignment while sitting
- Good posture and positioning
- No need to slouch or hunch over
- Better comfort in your chair
Hip and Pelvic Alignment in Ergonomic Chairs
First up as we explore the benefits of using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief is how they assist with hip and pelvic alignment. One of the biggest catalysts for lower back pain from sitting too long is due to the hips and pelvis being out of alignment. This adds excess stress to the lower back muscles and leads to pain, inflammation, and soreness.
Without realizing it, many people tend to sit with their pelvis tilted backward in a position called “posterior pelvic tilt.” As the pelvis tilts backward, your lumbar spine flexes and causes greater strain on the ligaments and muscles in your low back. If you’ve ever experienced pain or discomfort when standing up after being seated for a while, most likely this is what the root of your pain goes back to.
With an ergonomic chair, back pain relief comes as it aligns your pelvis and hips to be more level, preventing excess strain and stretching. This is enhanced further in ergonomic options like zero gravity chairs. In the zero gravity position, the legs are elevated above the heart level, removing pressure from the pelvis and lower back while distributing weight evenly along the body. Whether you’re using a zero gravity chair in a home office setup or in the living room, these modern recliners take ergonomic sitting to the next level.
Good Posture in Ergonomic Chairs
One of the key benefits of using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief is how they promote good posture. Improving your posture, whether sitting or standing, goes a long way toward lower back pain relief as well as contributing toward positive overall health. In a traditional chair or recliner, you may have to sit too far up (or too far back, which is just as bad), resulting in your feet and knees not aligning properly. When it comes to work chairs, you may also be at an inappropriate height for your screen level, causing you to subconsciously lean forward while working at your desk.
That misalignment of your body forces you to work hard to support yourself and contributes to back pain, muscle fatigue, and reduced productivity. Using an ergonomic chair for lower back pain supports your spine’s natural curvature, keeping you upright and allowing your muscles to rest in an optimal, aligned position as you sit.
No Hunching or Slouching
Alongside fixing your posture and aligning your hips and pelvis, using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief also works to prevent subconscious hunching over or slouching. When you sit in a regular chair improperly and your pelvis tilts backward, the natural inclination is to compensate for this by slightly hunching your shoulders forwards. Not only does this through your spinal alignment out of whack, but it also offsets your center of gravity, exacerbates the strain on the lower back muscles, and puts your entire body into positions leading to back pain.
An ergonomic chair, like a zero gravity chair, properly supports your body from top to bottom, eliminating the need for slouching or hunching over and contributing to back pain relief (or prevention).
Ergonomic Chairs Provide Comfort
Last up on our reasons why using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief is effective comes from a simple comfort level. While your first instinct might be to think a comfortable chair means one you sink into fully, that’s not the case. If you’re looking at ergonomic chairs for lower back pain, you’re already experiencing the effects that the lack of comfort and support manifest.
Instead, choosing an ergonomic chair for back pain relief is about finding one that is soft and comfortable but still sturdy and full of support. Sinking into a chair too far can weaken the abdominal muscles and contribute to back pain. Proper ergonomic chairs are comfortable because they’re supporting your body the right way.
Using an ergonomic chair for back pain relief can be beneficial whether it's your work chair or your favorite home recliner. These types of chairs not only help alleviate back pain, but work towards improving your overall well-being, too. Ditch that old chair that’s not doing you any favors and turn to an ergonomic chair for back pain relief and get back to living a pain-free life!
More than being ergonomically-friendly, the potential health benefits of zero gravity chairs make them perfect for any lifestyle. Check out the Svago ZGR Zero Gravity Recliner to see what you’ve been missing.
