Back pain is no fun, and it can come from many different sources. While you and everyone else is staying at home right now, you may find that your back is hurting more than ever.  Surprisingly, this can be due to the office chair you are using at home. It can also be this way if you are working on a couch. Here are some signs to know if your chair is causing you back pain. 

Note: this article contains affiliate links

You are sitting incorrectly

Do you slouch a lot when working in your office chair? This can cause some serious problems for your back, neck, and shoulders. If you strain forward often you are putting pressure on the ligaments in your back, destroying your spine. Doing this repeatedly day in and day out can cause you back pain long after you leave your computer. If you can, try to sit in a more firm posture that doesn’t require you to slouch or lean forward. Correct posture can be hard to maintain if you don’t act soon, and stay on top of it.

Your chair doesn’t give you back support

While this may seem obvious, your chair needs to firmly support your back. If you find yourself constantly leaning back and feeling back pain, particularly in your lower back, it’s time to make a change. Try adjusting your chair for the most optimal position. In addition, try adding a pillow behind your lower back to give it some more firmness. This can also affect your hip and joint angle, which means pain can be spread to your hips and down the side of your body. Remember, you want to keep that spine straight and not bent all the time. 

You sit for long periods of time

What is most likely to affect people, though, is sitting for large amounts of time without changing positions at all. If you do this for work it can be hard to find a workaround. Your body isn’t meant to stay seated 8 hours a day with little to no activity. Oftentimes, it can be best to stretch before going into work and after work. This can reduce your lower back pain to a minimum or at least to a tolerable level. In general, the body being sedentary for long periods of time can lead to a greater risk of obesity and injury. 

You don’t have your chair adjusted

If you don’t have your chair adjusted to the right height it can affect your legs and cause back pain. Don’t be afraid to tinker around with the pedals and gears of your office chair to get the right height. You also don’t want to adjust your chair so much that you’re leaning forward.  Instead, try to aim for keeping your back as flat as possible or at giving it something to rest against. Also, don’t lower your chair too much. Doing that can cause pressure on your hips and thus, over time, cause you pain. Don’t raise it too high either, you want your feet firmly planted on the ground.

Changes you can make to help yourself

There are a couple of things you can do to help your back pain and keep from injuring yourself. First, try being active at work or start exercising at home. This will help you with your sedentary lifestyle and stretch your back. Try walking at work and taking 15-minute breaks to get some fresh air. If you can, try standing while working. Buy an adjustable desk stand to keep your back from hurting. You may need to buy a new chair altogether if you cannot adjust your old one. This can help with back pain.
Like this content and want more? Subscribe to Dock line Magazine and receive free content like this in your email!