Some of us work at a desk. Maybe we are on the computer, on the phone, twiddling our thumbs, writing blogs, and doodling…. Regardless of the task, sitting at an office desk, in an office chair is necessary. Having the right support is very important.
You don’t need a souped up office chair, but some features do help.
A recent study showed that certain upgrades to an office chair can aid in having great posture while sitting. Does your office chair include any features designed to improve your spinal posture while sitting? Researchers X-rayed 28 volunteers while they stood up straight, bent forward, and sat in four chair conditions:
- regular chair
- a chair with lumbar support
- a chair with seat pan tilt
- a chair with a backrest for scapular relief
While the researchers didn’t find any one feature to be better with respect to decreasing spinal flexion (which places stress on the back and can cause injury when sitting for long periods of time) , they did report that the seat pan tilt feature resulted in significantly improved pelvic posture, which may benefit and improve the musculoskeletal system.
Source: Ergonomics, October 2017
Additional Reading:
- Make Your Work Day at the Office as Pain Free as Possible
- Why Your Mom always Tells You to Sit up Straight and Why it Matters
- Doing Neck Traction At Home
- 5 Pillows for Neck Pain Sufferers
- Advice for Breathing for Those who Cannot Get to Sleep
