How to Improve Sitting Work to Reduce Back Pain

Many people who sit for long hours suffer from sedentary posture syndrome and may not even be aware of it. A chiropractic physician can help you learn to recognize the problem and fix it. From headaches and back pain to reduced metabolic rate, sitting for more than four hours a day has been shown to reduce aspects associated with mood, productivity, and discomfort physical. Work may require this posture, but there are things the average person can do to counteract the adverse effects of sitting. Young students who learn how to incorporate better sitting skills in their daily routine can carry this life-altering message with them throughout their years. An older person who learns how to perform their daily activities with less sitting will improve their lives every day. This change will help them hold onto muscle strength and balance that will help them maintain their independence longer.  

The average person in our country sits with their heads inclined for about ten hours a day, much of it posed before a computer screen or similar device. The seated posture creates shortened, tight muscles in the neck, back, and legs, all of which contribute to fatigue, body weakness, and pain of these crucial areas.  Lung expansion is reduced with prolonged sitting as the shoulders and ribs have no incentive to expand, and inspiration diminishes. Stomach activity stagnates without body motion, resulting in metabolic disorders. Healthcare providers such as chiropractors are well-positioned to help people suffering from this disorder of too much sitting through awareness and adjustments.

Even if a person goes to the gym to exercise after work, the problem of sitting all day persists. Problems associated with sitting more than four hours a day include: heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, backache, dementia, depression, and muscle degeneration. Additionally, increased sedentary behavior (SB) is known to correlate with poor posture, osteoporosis, and depression in many people.  The problems caused by sitting and sedentary behavior are many; once you recognize the problem, you can work to resolve it. Your chiropractor can provide spinal adjustments, massage, and exercises to improve posture and strength. She can also help you learn new, more active ways to live and work.

Many people use activity tracker watches or other devices to help them improve their daily activity levels. These helpful devices support awareness of the problem and can be motivating. Other supportive measures might be to interrupt ones sitting posture every thirty minutes or so using a timer. – Getting up to stand twice an hour can make a big difference — other ways to get more activity while working can include using an exercise ball as a seat.  The unstable ball incites stability muscle contraction. Alternately, one could stand while working- use headphones or speakerphones to move away from the desk, alternate between a sitting and a standing desk. Try to engage in leisure time activities that are more active, as well. If you sit all day at work and then go home and sit watching tv, surfing, or reading, these sedentary activities may be contributing to the problem. 

If you’re suffering from back pain, contact a back pain doctor in Chapel Hill, NC from a chiropractic and acupuncture healthcare clinic, they can help you improve your active life.

Thanks to Acupractic Natural Healing Center and Acupuncture for their insight into acupuncture and pain relief.