Achieve a Pain-Free Back with Correct Sitting Posture

For individuals who sit at work for long hours, can years of practicing unhealthy posture be corrected through a step-by-step approach to ensure optimal body position while sitting?

Sitting Posture

Sitting up straight with good posture requires consciously aligning the hips, pelvis, lower back, upper back, shoulders, neck, and head. Learning or retraining oneself to maintain correct sitting posture can relieve lower back pain, improve respiration and digestion, and reduce tension in the neck and shoulders. (Albarrati, A. et al., 2018) Start by paying attention to your posture throughout the day and correcting it whenever forward head posture, leaning, or slouching develops. Targeted exercises can also help build upper-body strength, and stretching can stabilize and strengthen the core muscles, lower back, and pelvic joints. (Albarrati, A. et al., 2018)

Sit Up Straight Guide

Sitting up straight can be uncomfortable because it is not a natural position for the body to maintain for long. Nowadays, work, school, appointments, and other activities require us to sit much longer than intended. The muscles also have to work against gravity, leading to muscle exhaustion, slouching, and slumping, which can cause chronic back, leg, neck, and/or shoulder pain. (Jung, K. S. et al., 2020)

Sitting up straight may seem simple, but the focus often stays on straightening only the lower/lumbar spine. This posture is unsustainable and puts excessive strain on both the upper and lower back. (Jung, K. S. et al., 2020) Consider the whole body when protecting the spine’s stability and balance. Learning and maintaining the ability to sit up straight requires practice. Find a comfortable chair to sit in, and follow these steps to achieve the optimal postural alignment (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 2022)

Knee Spacing

• Keep your hips at roughly a 90-degree angle.

Knee Position

• Keep your knees at a 90-degree angle, level with your hips.
• Use a pillow to achieve the right knee position if the seat is too low.

Keep the Feet Flat on the Floor

• If feet don’t reach the floor, place a footstool, box, book, or other flat object underneath them.

Sitting Bones

• Also known as the ischial tuberosities, these are two knobby bones on the underside of the pelvis.
• Feel around to find them.

Pelvis Adjustment

• Shift the body so that the sitting bones are directly under the pelvis rather than situated too far back, stressing the lower back or too far forward, leading to slumping.

Spine Check

• Maintain a slight spinal curve, and you should be able to slip a hand between your lower back and the back of the chair.

Shoulder Check

• The shoulders should be level and vertically aligned with the hips.
• If the shoulder blades are pulled back, the shoulders are lifted, or the shoulders are curled forward, relax them into a neutral position.

Head Positioning

• The head tends to tilt too far forward while sitting at work as the day progresses.
• Adjust your head position to align your neck with your upper spine.
• The head should be slightly tilted forward, with the ears aligned with the shoulders.

Check for Pain and Discomfort

• Pain may come from structural imbalances in the spine, pelvis, or hips.
• Use a lumbar chair support or place a rolled-up towel or cushion in your lower back to keep your back straight.

Added Tips

Tools and tricks to help prevent and avoid back, hip, and neck pain.

Chairs

• All the bells and whistles for an ergonomic desk chair are unnecessary.
• Focus on features like adjustable seat height and lumbar support. Seat depth recommendations are deeper for taller people and shallower for shorter people. (van Niekerk, S. M. et al., 2012)

Cushions

• If you sit on a cushion or use one to support your back or hips, don’t choose one that is excessively soft.
• Cushions that are too soft allow you to shift from one hip to the other, often without realizing it.
• They usually flatten and lose support over time.

Monitor Position

• Sitting straight won’t help if the monitor is too high or too low.
• The monitor should be at eye level to maintain the proper head and shoulder alignment.
• If the monitor is too low, place a box or book underneath it.
• If it is too high, raise the chair and place a footrest under your feet to keep them flat.

Avoid Crossing Legs or Feet

• Crossing the legs or feet places stress on the opposite hip, thigh, and knee and wears the body out faster.
• If your hips or legs tire prematurely, you may not be sitting correctly or may be in the wrong chair.

Use Comfortable Footwear

• Keeping your feet flat on the floor while sitting is essential.
• This is not possible in high heels or platform shoes.
• Change into comfortable flat shoes while sitting.

Take Regular breaks

• Even with an ergonomic desk chair, the body isn’t designed to sit for long periods.
• Get up at least every hour to walk and stretch, reactivating muscles and circulation.

Try a Sitting-Standing Desk

• Sitting-standing desks have become more popular.
• A standing desk can improve posture and reduce lower-back stress when set at the right height and position. (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 2022)

Sitting up straight requires awareness of body alignment, strong core muscles, and balanced pelvis, hips, spine, shoulders, neck, and head positioning. It may take time for these steps to become normal, but with perseverance and practice, they will become second nature. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic works with primary healthcare providers and specialists to develop an optimal health and wellness solution that helps the individual return to normal. We use an integrated approach to treat injuries and chronic pain syndromes and improve ability through flexibility, mobility, and agility programs to relieve pain. Our providers create personalized care plans for each patient, including Functional Medicine, Acupuncture, Electro-Acupuncture, and Sports Medicine principles. If other treatment is needed, Dr. Jimenez has partnered with top surgeons, clinical specialists, medical researchers, and rehabilitation providers to deliver the most effective treatments.

References

Albarrati, A., Zafar, H., Alghadir, A. H., & Anwer, S. (2018). Effect of Upright and Slouched Sitting Postures on the Respiratory Muscle Strength in Healthy Young Males. BioMed research international, 2018, 3058970. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/3058970

Jung, K. S., Jung, J. H., In, T. S., & Cho, H. Y. (2020). Effects of Prolonged Sitting with Slumped Posture on Trunk Muscular Fatigue in Adolescents with and without Chronic Lower Back Pain. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 57(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57010003

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2022). Working in a sitting position – good body position. Retrieved from https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/sitting/sitting_position.html

van Niekerk, S. M., Louw, Q. A., & Hillier, S. (2012). The effectiveness of a chair intervention in the workplace to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms. A systematic review. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 13, 145. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-13-145