Sitting and Lower Back Pain

Sitting and Lower Back Pain

 

 

Many people complain of lower back pain, especially upon sitting.  If they have computer based occupations, this is a major problem for them.  Sitting posture is very important to educate your patients/clients on in order to reduce the stresses on the spinal tissues.  Sitting in a slouch position decreases muscle activity, stresses the annulus portion of the lumbar discs, and may lead to "disc creep" and disc herniation. 

 

SLUMPED

Sitting upright activates the hip flexors and lumbar extensors which in turn create compressive loads on the spine. 

UPRIGHT

 

You can teach your clients/patients how to find a "pelvic neutral" posture, but many feel that by maintaining any one position for an extended period of time will place a stress on the lumbar tissues. 

PELVIC NEUTRAL

 

It is recommended that your position changes frequently in order to shift the stress from one tissue to another, avoiding any type of overload.