Do you experience back pain in Toronto on a daily basis? Are looking for solutions that can change your life for the better? Well, it might be easier to get back pain relief than you think. When you visit a Bloor West Village chiropractic clinic called Transform Chiropractic, one key advice they will give you is to change the way you are sitting – this one simple change can make a huge difference when it comes to pain management.
According to a study that was conducted in 2016 by Reebok and Censuswide, people will spend approximately 30% of their lives sitting down. When you think about it, that’s actually quite a lot – probably more than what the human body is meant to do. A sedentary lifestyle is proving to be more dangerous than we once thought, and comes with a number of health risks.
Sitting for too long is also a leading cause of back pain. While the only true solution is to make sure you are getting up every thirty minutes, there are some ways that you can minimize the effects of prolonged sitting.
1. Alternate your sitting position.
Try to adjust the way you are sitting every ten to fifteen minutes. This could mean changing the way you lean, forward to back, left to right, or changing the way you are curving your back. Variation of your static postural loading will minimize back pain because you will be shifting the pressure around instead of leaving it in one area.
2. Avoid hunching over or slouching.
Your natural lordotic lumbar curve is designed to act like a spring that absorbs compression on your back. If you hunch or slouch a lot you could lose that curve and the stress will instead be transmitted onto your disc, joints, bones, and nerves in your lower back, resulting in pain. Consider using lumbar support on your chair to maintain a healthy sitting posture.
3. Practice good sitting habits in your car, too.
It’s important to make sure you’re comfortable when seated in your car as well, especially if you drive a lot for long periods of time. To help you sit properly, angle your mirror in a way that will encourage you straighten out more. You should also adjust your seat and steering wheel to a position that promotes good posture instead of slouching. Use lumbar support, move your seat as close to the wheel as possible, and angle your seat at about 100 to 110 degrees to achieve proper positioning.
Don’t Forget Your Neck
When you lean your neck forward to look at things like your smart phone you are bending it in a way that removes the natural curve in your lower back. This bad habit can cause pain in your neck and lower back because of the disruption to the curve. To relieve pain, try a simple exercise called neck retraction where throughout the day you take a moment to pull your neck back over your shoulders. Doing this 5 to 10 times at one go can strengthen your neck muscles and discourage slouching.
Keep these simple tips in mind and you’ll be sure to get some much needed pain relief.
