Back Pain? Could Be Your Office Chair
CHICAGO (CBS) -- If you have chronic back pain, chances it stems from your job.
Not your actual job -- but the chair you sit in at work. Experts say the way you sit in your office chair may greatly impact how you feel.
You know how it feels after a long day of sitting at your desk. Your posture can be far from perfect, and you're tired.
Kerri Harris says it could be your chair.
"If you are getting discomfort in your upper or lower back and your neck, (it) could be an indication that you are not sitting correctly in your seat," she says.
Just ask Jerry Webb, who is currently in therapy for back problems.
"When I would get up I just was hunched over and so stiff that I could hardly stand up," he says.
Webb was in severe pain before Kerri made some major adjustments to his office.
"She recommended a new chair," Webb said.
Kerri also says there are simple changes you can make to any office chair.
First off, sit all the way back in your chair to support your lower back.
If you can't adjust your chair, use a roll or pillow for support, like graduate student Jill Welsh does now.
"I don't sit anywhere without this lumbar roll, whether it's class, meeting throughout campus, at home watching TV. It goes everywhere with me," she says.
You also need to be aware of the depth of your seat. You want to make sure your knees are at a 90-degree angle and that you can fit three fingers between the front of the chair and the back of your knee.
Be sure your feet are touching the ground and not resting on the chair; if they are, find a foot rest. Your monitor should be at eye level. Your keyboard should not be elevated. And don't sit still for too long.
"I also recommend that people stop and change their posture at least every hour or every 45 minutes," Kerri says.
That means taking frequent rest breaks, or maybe getting up out of your seat to talk to a colleague instead of just sending an email. but more than anything pay attention to your day to day posture. Never slouch in your chair.
That, coupled with small adjustments, can make a world of difference.
There are several resources online that also can help:
-- the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
-- Medline Plus definition, preventive measures, plus explanations of back exercises.
-- More exercises from knowyourback.org
