For millions of Americans who sit when they work, it can create chronic debilitating back pain. It’s no surprise more and more jobs are being accomplished by computers. This means sitting is more common and back pain is becoming more prevalent. Sitting can create more pressure on your low back than any other position and result in chronic muscle imbalances. In this article I will offer up a few tips as to what you can do to help reduce the daily strain on your back when you sit all day.
Amazingly, our bodies are designed to adapt. This can be a positive or negative adaptation. One example of a positive adaption is when runners build a stronger heart muscle and stronger leg muscles to help them run further and faster. Adaptation can also be in a negative way when our muscles atrophy (wither away from non-use) or shorten. Examples of this are when someone is in a cast after breaking their arm (atrophy of a muscle) or when someone sits all day (shortening of supporting muscles).
The two muscles that are of most concern when you sit all day are the hamstring and the iliopsoas (aka hip flexor). They are both crucial to your body and are directly affected when you sit for long periods.
The hamstrings are one of the most powerful muscles in the body. The hamstring muscles are a group of muscles that attach to the pelvis on one end and the lower leg (tibia) on the other end. When you sit a lot, it will cause the hamstrings to shorten and cause the pelvis to be restricted when you go to stand and walk.
The same problem occurs with the iliopsoas (hip flexor) muscles. The hip flexors attach to the inner thigh (femur) bone, travel deep through the pelvis, and attach to every single low back vertebrae that make up your lumbar (low back) curve. When you sit, it puts your iliopsoas (hip flexor) muscle in a relaxed, shortened position. By the principles of adaptation, when you sit a lot it will naturally create a chronic, tight, shortened iliopsoas muscle. This typically won’t create pain or bother you until you go to stand up. When you go to stand up the iliopsoas muscle is so tight and shortened it is no longer able to lengthen enough to allow you to stand without causing lower back pain.
Another problem that can occur is when people sit without the proper back support. When this happens, the normal curvature of the lower back (called the lumbar curve) will lose its shape. It will often straighten or, even worse, bend in the opposite direction. This can create enormous pressure on the lumbar discs, sprain the supporting ligaments around the joints, and strain the muscles of the lower back.
My top tip for preventing back pain when you sit all day is to address all these issues. The best thing to remember is the 4S’s: Support, Stand, Stretch, and Stroll.
Support: When sitting, be sure to have a good lumbar-back chair support and use it as you sit. Make sure your lower back curve rests comfortably against the support. These can be bought relatively cheaply online, at any pharmacy, or at a big box retail store.
Stand: Set an alarm on your computer or phone to remind you stand up every 30 minutes. You have to get the hamstring and iliopsoas (hip flexor) muscles out of that shortened position. If they stay shortened for long periods, they will adapt to that position and not be easily lengthened or stretched. (Think about how you feel when you take a long car ride and then try to stand up. Do this daily and you are guaranteeing low back pain in your future.)
Stretch: Use a few minutes of those standing breaks to stretch your hamstring muscles and your iliopsoas muscles. (Alternate between both legs. Do three reps of 20-30 second stretches with both the hamstring and iliopsoas.)
Stroll: When standing and stretching every half-hour, be sure to take 10 steps away from your desk and then come back. This will create some motion in your low back and pelvis and allow for some movement in your spine. Movement in your spine helps to increase nutrients to the lumbar discs. These few steps also help reset your body and help to keep you from getting into a prolonged poor posture position.
Computers and desk work are not going anywhere. Unfortunately, if we are not more proactive, chronic back pain statistics will also continue to rise. Remember the 4S’s (Support, Stand, Stretch, and Stroll) while you’re at work and hopefully you will beat the odds and the anguish of low back pain.
-by Dr. Brandon Crouch
About the Author: Dr. Brandon Crouch is a Chiropractor with Crouch Family Chiropractic. He is an advocate for being proactive when it comes to your health and encourages people to make healthy, informed decisions. For more information or questions, you can contact him online at: www.crouchfamilychiro.com.
