Working at a desk while seated for long periods of time can cause back pain relatively quickly. These are due to one-sided strain and incorrect posture that can occur when working at a desk if you don’t pay attention to it. In addition, long periods of sitting cause the muscles in the trunk to slacken. So it’s high time to change something to prevent back pain. But what is the best way to do this?
Table of Contents
The basis: good posture and sitting position
Sitting puts a lot of strain on the intervertebral discs – even more than standing or walking. In this respect, it is no wonder that many people suffer from back pain after a long period of working at a desk. The sitting position in particular plays a major role here: anyone who leans back a lot or leans very far forward puts strain on the spine. This promotes tension and pain. In principle, it is better to adopt an upright posture. Here, the pelvis is tilted slightly forward so that the back falls into a slight hollow back.
However, the following applies: no matter how “good” the sitting position may be – if you remain in one position for too long, you will still provoke pain in your back. Therefore, it is important to change the sitting position from time to time.
For a healthy posture and dynamic sitting: ergonomic office furniture
Ergonomic office furniture is a great way to support dynamic sitting and healthy posture. This includes, for example, appropriately shaped office chairs that can be individually adjusted to your own body measurements. Some models even have acupressure elements, which are designed to provide additional relaxation of the back muscles. Particularly useful is a so-called standing desk, which allows you to work while standing. By using such a desk, one significantly reduces the strain on the intervertebral discs. Nevertheless, you should also make sure to work upright and not to cramp up.
What does correct posture look like?
There are a few points you can pay attention to in order to ensure proper posture while standing. For example, it’s important to keep your chin pointed straight forward. Likewise, you should make sure that you relax your shoulders, otherwise tension can develop. The knees should not be fully extended, but slightly bent. In a healthy posture, the lower back is slightly curved in an S-shape. Last but not least, the keyboard must be easily accessible.
Ensure sufficient movement
The human body is not really designed to spend the whole day sitting down. For this reason, it is extremely important to ensure that you get enough exercise. This does not mean that you have to exercise for several hours every day – even small breaks from exercise during work can ensure that you no longer suffer from back pain as quickly. This is because the back and abdominal muscles are exercised. This ultimately provides an increased supply of fluid to the intervertebral discs, so that they are supplied with valuable nutrients.
These nutrients are extremely important to ensure that the intervertebral discs continue to function properly. In the long term, regular exercise also significantly reduces the risk of a herniated disc. It can be enough to walk as many distances as possible in everyday life.
Conclusion
Sitting down for long periods of time puts unnecessary strain on the intervertebral discs and should therefore be avoided. However, if you use ergonomic office furniture and at the same time pay attention to a healthy posture, you can counteract the pain preventively. Equally important are regular breaks from movement, which, among other things, supply intervertebral discs with nutrients and thus ensure their full functionality.
