When it comes to back pain, people think of injuries like car accidents or lifting something too heavy. But for chronic back pain, the culprit is typically way less conspicuous. In many cases, back pain comes from excessive sitting and is becoming more common among those who work in office jobs and sit at a computer desk for most of their day.
At Pinnacle Health Chiropractic, we understand how America’s modern industrialization and digitalization negatively impacts your body, specifically your spine. And we work with patients every day who suffer from lower back caused by excessive sitting, often on the job. That’s why we’re here talking about how too much sitting can lead to low back pain and what you can do about it.
It’s estimated that 80% of Americans experience low back pain at some point in their lives, and it’s one of the main culprits behind missed work days and disability cases. Of this 80%, 20% go on to suffer from chronic low back pain, which is pain that lasts 12 weeks or longer. And these numbers only apply to the lower back, where pain from excessive sitting occurs, never mind the middle of the back and the neck.
While these numbers may be somewhat shocking, they’re understandable when you consider that 25% of US adults sit at work for at least eight hours each day. And that two out of three Americans are overweight, with one in three being considered obese. And that, on average, Americans spend 11 or more hours a day in front of a screen. It’s no wonder back pain is a national problem.
When it comes to mechanics, the human body is an incredibly efficient machine that relies on balance and stimulation. And, what many people don’t know, is that most of the body’s biomechanical processes need external stimuli to work properly.
For instance, your bone is living tissue that requires direct stimulation to rebuild and repair itself. When your body senses that an area is inactive, it stops sending the necessary resources for regeneration. Over time and with continued inactivity, this leads to weakened bones and bone loss. What’s more, your connective tissue is designed to stretch and move and, much like an unused rubber band, can deteriorate when left idle.
Your back contains both bone and connective tissue that need the right amount of stimulation and movement to stay healthy. So to get the natural restorative and anti-inflammatory resources your body provides, you must get active.
When it comes to sitting, doing too much of it isn’t the only problem. Many people suffer from issues like ruptured or herniated discs or even degenerative disc disease, both of which can cause significant pain. These conditions result from compression of the intervertebral discs which can result from poor sitting posture.
When you slouch over a computer, your body’s alignment is off, putting significant pressure on the discs in your lumbar back, commonly called the low back. By improving the ergonomics of your work station, you can relieve this pressure and begin to reduce your back pain. You may consider things like a foot rest, a back support pillow, or changing the height of your chair or computer screen.
In a perfect world, you wouldn’t spend your days sitting. But we know the world’s not perfect and that you must work, which often involves the excessive sitting that’s causing your back pain. But there are things you can do to offset the effects of excessive sitting and reduce your back pain:
If you’re suffering from chronic back pain and you’re concerned about sitting, give us a call so we can help you move forward. You can even use the online scheduling tool to set up an appointment and be one step closer to less back pain.
