How Sitting Causes Back Pain (2024)

2. Your shoulders are rolled forward. Some of the most common causes of lower back pain are a lack of lumbar support from a chair that’s too soft or one that doesn’t encourage good posture, a muscular imbalance in which your pectoral muscles (chest) are stronger than your back muscles (common in men who like to work out their beach muscles more than their back), or habit. If you’re wondering if you’re guilty of this, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and let your arms hang down at your sides. If your thumb points forward, you’re probably balanced. If your palms are pointing behind you, you probably have an imbalance.

3. You're leaning forward from your lower back. This posture puts even more pressure on the vertebrae of your lower spine (lumbar area), as it compresses your disks.

4. Your elbows are too far away from your body. The rule in lifting anything is that the more the object weighs, and the further your elbows are away from your torso, the more strain you put on your shoulders and upper back. Reaching your arms forward to type or write might not seem like much, but doing it eight or more hours per day will take its toll

5. You hold your phone to your ear. Many people multitask and talk on the phone while their hands are doing other things, wedging the phone between their shoulder and ear. Doing this for a few seconds isn’t going to cause an imbalance in your body, but anything more than that will cause tension on one side of your neck and upper back.

6. You sit for too long. Dr. Joan Vernikos, former director of NASA’s Life Sciences Division and author of the “Sitting Kills, Moving Heals” explains, “We weren’t designed to sit. The body is a perpetual motion machine.” When you’re sedentary, your muscles get less oxygen and nutrients from your blood.
The rule of thumb is to frequently change postural positions and take movement micro-breaks for every 30 minutes of sitting throughout the workday. A helpful strategy is to drink lots of water: it keeps you hydrated, which is healthy, and it forces you to get up and move in order to use the bathroom!For a comprehensive list of how to sit, stand, and use your phone properly, check out the guide I've created: Proper Workplace Ergonomics Guide. In the guide, I explain all the key factors in sitting and standing ergonomics.

Getting Rid of Back Pain

Try a New Activity

Yoga - Yoga can be a very effective way of preventing and treating back pain caused by sitting. Keep in mind that some poses can provoke areas of pain, and be mindful of which positions you can tolerate and then work up to new positions as your body allows. Overall, yoga is a very low-risk activity. Many studios will offer free first classes, or a very low promotional price to get started. If you're suffering from back or neck pain, there's no excuse for not giving yoga a try.

Pilates - Pilates has been shown to help back and neck pain, especially certain types of exercises. While many other forms of physical activity can magnify body pain, Pilates is a great choice for those currently suffering or those wishing to avoid pain risk. Pilates also offers a path to burning calories and losing weight that may not be accessible for those of us suffering from back pain. Pilates has gained tremendous popularity in the last 15 years, and you should have no problem finding a local studio that can help you get started.

Tai Chi - While many martial arts are very healthy activities, Tai Chi has developed a reputation for its extensive health benefits, from the mind to the heart, and increased energy levels. Tai Chi has also gained popularity for helping reduce neck and back pain as well as simply getting you into shape. Tai Chi is very popular, and if you're looking to try it there are likely to be options for beginners where you live.

Get Help from a Professional:

Massage - Getting pain treatment through massage is another great way to get rid of pain. While this may be a luxury approach, a monthly massage can be affordable and effective. There are many types of massage options, so be sure to ask about targeting your areas of pain. With the rising accessibility of massage guns, you can also get a frequent and affordable targeted massage. You can get a very high-quality massage gun for a few hundred dollars.

Go to a Chiropractor - Finding a good chiropractor can be the key to relieving your pain. Chiropractors are trained in musculoskeletal manipulation and can identify the cause of your pain and specifically treat areas of pain with specialized procedures. They can also advise you on managing your pain in your day-to-day life and suggest other activities that may help.

Physical Therapy - Often treating patients who have suffered trauma or are recovering from surgery, physical therapists and their staff are also more than qualified to help treat back pain. Overlapping with treatment from a chiropractor, seeking help from a physical therapist can be another highly effective option for treating back and neck pain caused by sitting.

Products that may Help:

Get a Standing Desk - Standing, even for short periods throughout the day, has been proven to help alleviate or prevent back pain caused by sitting. By standing at your desk you'll burn extra calories and the variability offered by a sit-to-stand desk will benefit you in more ways than you might think. Our writer, Ryan, put together a great guide on buying a standing desk. His top recommended desk, the Jarvis, is available on Amazon and is a really good value for money.

Get an Ergonomic Chair - For most of us, sitting is just part of our daily lives and jobs. Even for those with the benefit of a standing desk, it's still important to make sure that you have a quality chair that is comfortable for the considerable time you still spend sitting. Ergonomic focused chairs offer lower back or lumbar support which is key in making your sitting time much less painful.

Get a Neck Trainer - Your head weighs more than you may think. The posture muscles of the upper back and neck don't get strengthened as much as you may think to counteract the slouching that occurs during the day. We recently reviewed the Iron Neck which may be a good solution for you depending on your budget. If you don't want to spend several hundred dollars on a tool like this, consider looking up neck strengthening exercises on YouTube.

Use an Inversion Table - The only way to get 100% decompression of your spine compared to when you stand is to invert at a 60-degree angle. There is some research supporting the use of inversion tables to get rid of back pain. And besides helping to alleviate back pain, there are many other benefits reported by users.

Get a Foam Roller - We thinkfoam rollers are a great, cheap option for targeted massage and tissue release. We are a big fan because they come in many shapes, sizes, and difficulty levels that will fit just about any budget. You should do your research though as there is an initial learning curve to overcome.

Consider a Massage Chair - The great thing about a massage chair is that they are generally always there when you need one. You don't need to leave your space and set up an appointment to get a pretty good massage. The downside, of course, is that the massage chair can't adapt the massage completely to all your individual needs.

Install a Keyboard Tray - A keyboard tray is an excellent ergonomic accessory that allows you to adjust your keyboard height and angle independently from your desktop or monitors. This can aid in achieving good posture and can help minimize pain when sitting or standing.

Get Monitor Arms - Monitor arms allow you to position your monitors exactly where you need them. Monitor arms are often bought to improve desktop aesthetics or organization but they are great for those suffering from back pain. They allow you to bring your monitors closer and position them at an ideal angle and height. This can reduce your tendency to lean forward or look downward at your screen.

Sitting Back Pain Frequently Asked Questions