Well, this is one of the great questions, for which everybody would like an answer.  I’ve written about a number of things in this space, but unfortunately, the source of everyone’s back pain will not be one of them.  What I would like to impart to readers is a very common risk factor for low back injuries.

I’d suggest sitting down before you read on, but that would just add to your risk… that’s right, sitting for long periods of time is a risk factor for low back pain and injury.

Photo courtesy of Saxon

New Study on Fatigued Muscles

A recent study undertaken at the State University of New York at Buffalo determined that “the degraded force generating capacity of the fatigued muscles can be a significant risk factor for low back pain^[1].  The research showed that prolonged sitting causes creep (changing length) in muscles primarily responsible for posture and maintaining stability in the spine.  When the same muscles were recruited for lifting or carrying following sitting, they generated less force.  In other words, muscles that have stretched from prolonged sitting are weaker, less able to stabilize and move the spine, and more prone to injury.

Examples of how this phenomenon affects us include:

• taking packages out of the trunk of the car after a long drive,
• getting the newspaper off the ground after sleeping side lying,
• transporting luggage following an airline flight,
• or bending to lift anything at work after awhile at the desk.

The key in all of these situations is that the back muscles are experiencing an increased demanded for force at a time when the muscle is least capable.  This is when injury can easily occur in these back muscles.

Simple Recommendations to Avoid Back Pain

For similar reasons, I frequently recommend that patients avoid twisting the torso while bending and lifting.  These actions put considerable strain on spinal muscles, because tissues are being asked to stabilize and move the spine simultaneously, increasing the risk of overloading the muscles.  Sitting for a long period before doing the same work only increases the risk of injury further.  So remember to take frequent breaks from prolonged sitting and give your muscles time to adjust when asking your back to do work following sitting.

The risks of warming the couch maybe even greater yet.  A newly published article described how prolonged sitting, even when adults participate in physical activity, is a factor for reduced lifespan^[2].  I will examine this topic in a later post.

1. Shin G, D’Souza C, Liu YH.  Creep and fatigue development in the low back in static flexion.  2009 Aug 1;34(17):1873-8. [↩]
2. Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW.  Too Much Sitting: The Population Health Science of Sedentary Behavior.  Exerc Sport Sci Rev.  2010 July;38(3):105-13. [↩]

As we all know, sitting is a very common activity at work, just like using a computer (a subject for another day), and it is widely accepted that sitting at a desk the whole day can lead to low back pain, soft tissue, and disc injury^[1][2]. I’ve assembled a list of things that you can do at your desk to make you feel more comfortable while sitting. There is one MAJOR caveat… most of these suggestions only help you AVOID low back pain. If you are already suffering, you may need to stop reading this and visit Matthews Chiropractic Center. This concept points to an integral part of my care, namely patient education, so that patient’s may take part in prevention of future problems.

4 Tips for Desk Jockey Comfort

1. Maintain Good Posture / Ergonomics

Make sure that your back is supported by your chair^[3], Use a foot rest, Make your hips higher than your knees using a stress wedge or tilt the back of the seat slightly higher than the front, If you recline your backrest also tilt the seat backwards^[4].

2. Postural Breaks / Change Position

Take regular breaks from sitting, Get up to stretch and walk every 30 minutes, Change the height of your chair periodically, Do some work standing, Sit on an exercise ball at your desk.

It’s easy to get lost in your work. Some patients set timers that remind them that they should get up and take a walk. Your best work happens when you are relaxed and feel good. Don’t press on when your body tells you it’s time for a break. Do so and you will be better for it.

3. Core Strengthening / Conditioning

Muscles of the back and core fire constantly to maintain stable, upright/sitting posture. Eventually, these muscles can become tired and that makes the back sore and prone to injury. Therefore, strengthening and stretching muscles of the core and deep muscles of the back can help prevent pain and low back injury.

I would recommend starting with 4 exercises that require no equipment:

• Cat-Camel
• Curl-up
• Side Bridge
• Bird Dog

Descriptions of these exercises can be found at the American Council on Exercise website.

4. Chiropractic Care

The dangers of prolonged sitting are well documented. In fact, it has been shown that sitting changes the curvature of the spine and increases pressure in the discs^[5][6]. Chiropractic treatment in my office can help combat the muscular pain and spinal fixation that result from maintaining the spine in stressful postures.

A basic rule of thumb is if it hurts, it needs to move. Drink lots of fluids, take breaks, stretch it out, and as a part of a wellness program get chiropractic adjustments.

Do you have a tip or story you’d like to share about fixing the workplace to better suite your back? Please share them with us.

1. Kyphosed seated postures: extending concepts of postural health beyond the office. Pynt J, Mackey MG, Higgs J. J Occup Rehabil. 2008 Mar;18(1):35-45. [↩]
2. The response of the nucleus pulposus of the lumbar intervertebral discs to functionally loaded positions. Alexander LA et al. Spine. 2007 Jun 15;32(14):1508-12. [↩]
3. Effectiveness of a lumbar support continuous passive motion device in the prevention of low back pain during prolonged sitting. Aota Y et al. Spine. 2007 Nov 1;32(23):E674-7. [↩]
4. Lumbar spine curvature during office chair sitting. Lengsfeld M et al. Med Eng Phys. 2000 Nov;22(9):665-9.
   [↩]
5. Lumbar lordosis. Effects of sitting and standing. Lord MJ et al. Spine. 1997 Nov 1;22(21):2571-4. [↩]
6. Ergonomics of posture–review of various problems of standing and sitting posture. Grandjean E, Hünting W. Appl Ergon. 1977 Sep;8(3):135-40. [↩]