What Is Lumbar Support and Why Does It Matter?
If you’re having back pain that doesn’t seem to be getting better, you might want to look to a place where you spend a lot of your time throughout the day: your desk chair. If you aren’t providing proper support to your back, specifically in your lower back area, then you might be feeling pain. This pain can extend to your hips, legs, and even shoulders. After long hours sitting at work, most people tend to start slouching forward, pushing their lower backs out and straining their muscles. By providing better support to your lower back, you can alleviate your pain and also improve your posture overall. You’ll want to address any issues with lumbar support quickly, firstly, because you don’t deserve to be in constant pain, and secondly, because it can lead to other issues like herniated discs or other spinal issues.
Here are a few things you can do to help if you’re having lumbar issues at work.
Desk Adjustments
The first place you should start is with your desk. You should place your chair in a location where your elbows, thighs, and wrists all line up in a specific way to help keep you comfortable. You can adjust your computer screen and tilt it so that you’re looking at it without leaning forward or in a way that positions your back in an uncomfortable way. You should sit with both feet on the floor, not with your legs crossed or resting on your chair. You should also keep your wrists comfortably on the edge of your desk, rather than extending your arms, which could lead you to extend your lower back and create more pain. You can also adjust your desk chair as needed to give it the right tilt.
Chair Cushions and Supports
By putting a small pillow or a specifically molded cushion on the back of your chair, you’ll provide support to your lower back so that your instinct isn’t to slouch forward anymore. You just need to put the cushion against the lower part of your back that needs the most support, and you’ll be able to rest easily against it without feeling the strain throughout your entire back.
Ergonomic Chairs and Standing Desks
You can buy specific chairs or desks to help you work through your lumbar pain as well. A study conducted in 2018 showed a 50 percent decrease in low back pain with a control group that used standing desks. Keeping yourself in a sitting-standing movement will help keep your blood flowing and reduce the pain you’re feeling in your lower back. Specific ergonomic chairs are also fitted to provide extra support to your lumbar, similar to how a cushion or pillow will.
