Profile of your spine shows how low chairs cause back pain
How to give yourself backpain no. 3
Your spine is designed to keep your head above your base – whether you are sitting or standing. It does this by adjusting its natural s-curve. So today, we’re going to destroy that self-correcting shape!
*First, find a low chair with a long seat and a flat or hollow back. Ideally the seat should slope backwards so your weight is thrown back, but the long seat stops you getting far enough back to support your lower back.
*Sit with your knees above your pelvis, upper body thrown backwards and the natural hollow of your lower back bent forward.
*You can “rest” like this, with your upper body thrown backwards (although your muscles will be working overtime trying to give you some stability)
*Or even better, you can try to work by tilting your upper body forward, squeezing the discs in your spine so they become wedge-shaped. If you work really hard at this, you can even get them to burst – we call this a prolapse, but most people talk about a “slipped disc”.
Your spine has developed to keep you upright and well supported. If you throw it out of its normal balance, massive forces will be placed on your muscles, joints, ligaments and discs. This will cause back pain. Placing a cushion in the small of your back helps reduce the strain and keeps the natural curve there.
Call me on 01375 396402 to see how osteopaths can help you identify and avoid the strains that can damage your back.
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