Bad Back or a Bad Chair?

There are many causes of back pain but if you spend a large amount of your day sat down then chances are it's your chair that's to blame. Increasingly people are spending more and more time in front of a computer, whether it be for work or leisure, which means that the number of people with chair-related back problems is going up to. Thankfully ergonomic chairs are available and are becoming increasingly affordable, more effective and able to accommodate and support your back in your unique workspace.

Ergonomics doesn't just mean the chair is more complicated or complex, it means it has been designed with the results of scientific research in mind to produce a chair which will minimise the risks of pain caused by extensive sitting.

Although ergonomic design has been around since the 1970s it's only recently that it has become apparent how important it is in our day to day lives. Sitting for long periods of time is a very unnatural thing to do so it's important that your chair is preventing you from sitting incorrectly and giving you the support you need.

There are many way in which an ergonomic chair will support you, with many adjustable parts to make sure your chair is properly adjusted to your body. The height of the seat is the most important factor, and a common feature of most office desk chairs. If your chair is too low or too high, you may be working with your legs or arms at an odd angle which could lead to repetitive strain injuries and back problems.

Lumbar support is another essential factor when looking for a good ergonomic chair. A less common feature of desk chairs is an adjustable back rest and seat depth. For people with back problems it's important to get a chair where these features are adjustable. Your back should rest against your chair in a way that its natural curve is mirrored by the shape of the chair.

Ergonomic chairs will often have a back tilting feature as well as allowing the user to choose the angle at which their back rests. Another thing to take into consideration is the adjustability of the arm rests. Armrests which go up and down are good but the best chairs will allow its owner to adjust the distance the armrests are apart to match where their arms naturally rest.

If you think any of these factors may be affecting your back then now's the time to invest in an ergonomic chair. Most people wouldn't drive their car with a seat that wasn't properly adjusted to be in the most comfortable position, the same should be true of a desk chair. Especially as most people spend more time in front of a screen than they do at their steering wheels.

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