Lower Back Pain When Sitting – How Sitting Causes Back Pain

Published on May 1, 2019

Many people who are suffering from back pain struggle to come to know that hours of continuous sitting may be the underlying cause.

Underlying Causes

One of the most common underlying causes of lower back pain include postural problems, such as sleeping in the wrong position, incorrect heavy weight lifting techniques, repeated bending, sitting or standing for long periods of time. Additionally, if your habit consists of sitting in a way that causes an imbalance in your neck and back and increases tension in your back muscles, you are at increased risk to suffer from upper or lower back pain. This can happen while sitting in front of a computer in your office, prolonged sitting in front of the TV at home or while sitting at the driving seat of your car.

Some Posture Mistakes that Cause Back Problems

Many people make some mistakes that enhance postural stress, which can result in back and neck pain, such as:

Your head tips forward while you are looking down at your laptop, computer or phone. The average weight of the human head is ten pounds. If your head angles forward even slightly, it puts extra strain to the muscles of your upper back and neck. Thus, the stress exerted to your neck and back muscles and the amount of extra work which the muscles have to do is increased and may lead to pain in the back or neck.
You roll your shoulders forward. Along with rounded shoulders, our backs are also prone to slouching, meaning that our upper body is not properly supported, leading to straining and possible pain along the back and/or neck.
Your lower back is tilted forward. This posture is exerting more pressure on the vertebral bones of the lower spinal column (lumbar region) because it compresses the intervertebral discs, which are present between each adjacent vertebrae.
Your elbows are held too far away from your body. For example, it may not seem like much when you reach your arms forward to write or type something, but performing this practice for eight or more hours a day will sooner or later end up in some problems with your back and shoulders.
Holding your phone with your ear. Wedging one’s phone in between the shoulder and the ear and holding it there increases tension in the muscles of your shoulders, upper back, and neck which may result in neck and upper back pain and muscle spasms.
Sitting for a prolonged time period. This may have your back become strained from sitting in the same position for loo long, and also have your muscles weaken over time as they are not being used.

Negative effects of sitting

Sitting for prolonged periods of time can have several negative effects on the back, potentially leading to spinal disorders and pain, among other symptoms and medical conditions. Some issues that may be caused by sitting down for too long include:

Herniated discs
Sciatica or sciatic nerve pain – which occurs in the lower back and can produce pain that radiates down the legs as well
Spinal stenosis – narrowing of the spinal canal through which the spinal cord passes
Spinal compression

How to Get Rid Of Back Pain?

There are a few approaches you can take to rid yourself from back pain that is caused by sitting down for long periods of time.

Engage in Activities That Reduce Back Pain

Yoga – Yoga is a very effective method not only to treat but also to prevent back pain which occurs due to sitting. However, one must keep in mind that some poses can aggravate rather than help the back pain, so it is advised that you adopt only those positions which are well tolerated by your body.

Pilates – While other physical activities can aggravate the back pain, Pilates is a good choice for those who are suffering from or want to prevent back and/or neck pain.

Seek Help from a Professional

Massage – Massages are another good way to relieve pain. There are many types of massage options, so always be sure of targeting the area of your pain.

Seek a Chiropractor – Working with a good chiropractor can bring excellently results in relieving your back pain. They are trained in musculoskeletal manipulation and able to identify the root cause of your pain and treat the specific areas of your pain with specific procedures. They may also suggest other activities that are helpful for your condition.

Physical Therapy – The patients who are suffering from trauma or healing from surgeries, physical therapists and their staff are enough qualified to help the condition of back pain.

Additionally, if your pain is severe, or it is accompanied by symptoms that severely impair the quality of your everyday life, it is recommended that you seek medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. He/she shall be able to diagnose the exact cause of your symptoms and provide you with adequate medical attention.

What you can try at home

Lastly, there are some approaches you can take to address your pain at home. These include:

Be mindful of your posture. When you notice you start to slouch, try to correct your posture and sit up straight.
Take a break from sitting down. Stand and move around for a few minutes.
Stretch your entire body for a few minutes every day
Apply an ice pack to the painful area
Use a spinal decompression device to treat and also prevent back and neck pain from returning:

Spinal Backrack Technology

The Spinal Backrack is a unique and innovative device that provides long-term back pain relief through exercises that are easy to do at home and use only your own body weight. It can also be used to practice Pilates exercises that target back pain. Through these exercises, it massages your back to relieve any tension or spinal compression that may be present. And the best part is that it is absolutely free of side-effects, as it is 100% natural. Thousands of people have already seen its benefits, so why not be one of them? Read more below.

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