Reduce Back Pain at Your Desk

How many of you have jobs that confine you to a desk or just a chair for hours at a time? In today's society, the majority of us do. What does this mean for your back and what can you do combat this?

First, there are numerous studies that show being sedentary is not good for overall health, not just your back. But there is little in the way to link prolonged sitting to back pain. However, most people that sit for long periods can tell you that at one time or another they have experienced low back pain and even mid back or neck pain.

One of the negative results of sitting for a prolonged time is that it places the spine in a flexed (bent forward) position. This can cause your back muscles to work less efficiently thus increasing the risk of injury.

So what are some measures you can take to avoid back pain with sitting?

Be ergonomically correct.
1. Make sure your lower back (lumbar spine) is curved naturally forward (as opposed to slumped outwards). This is so important because it reduces the strain on your back. Many ergonomically-designed chairs have a “lumbar support” built into them that is designed to maintain the curve.  If yours doesn’t, you can buy a lumbar support pillow to stick behind your back.  If you can’t do that, it is best to sit forward in your chair so you can let your spine fall naturally into a forward curve.
2. Adjust your chair and desk heights. Your desk height should allow your forearms to rest comfortably at a 90-degree angle. Your wrists should not be higher than your elbows. The top of your computer screen should also be at or slightly below eye level.
3. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your back against the chair. Shoulders must be relaxed and be careful not to hunch them up.


Stretch your back.  Get up and stretch every 30 to 60 minutes. Sitting for long periods puts pressure on discs and can weaken your muscles supporting your back.
“Walking around for a few seconds and doing a few standing back bends (provided this does not cause pain) is enough to offset the negative effects of sitting,” Murphy said.
Stand up and place your hands on your lower back. Gently push your hips forward and slightly arch your back. This takes the pressure of the discs. If you have some privacy, get down on the floor and do the yoga position called “the cobra,” in which you lie on your stomach and press up with your arms leaving your hips on the floor. Studies have shown that doing the cobra 15 times per day can lessen the likelihood of future back pain, Murphy added.


Take regular breaks and microbreaks. Just getting up out of your chair can help break the cycle of clenched muscles.
Drop your hands to your lap for one second or less every few minutes or raise and drop your shoulders. You can make a rule to do this every time you send an email, click the mouse or do some other regular task, or install break reminders on the computer to stretch.


Strengthen your 'core.' To help your body cope with sitting, do core exercises like Pilates to strengthen your core muscles. Core exercises can train your muscles to work more efficiently, countering the negative effects of sitting. Aside from doing back specific exercises, simply getting regular aerobic exercise will help ward off back pain.

If pain continues to be a problem check with your chiropractor to make sure there is not an underlying condition. Remember, pain is not normal and is not a way of life. Stay active. Stay healthy. Live life.

What Your Spine Says About Your Health

You may have heard the saying, "the eyes are the window to the soul." There is another saying in the world of chiropractic, "your spine is the window to your health." How can the condition of your spine divulge so much information about overall health? Your spine is the central support column of your body and its primary role is to protect your spinal cord.

Think of it like the foundational frame of a house holding everything together. If the frame becomes dysfunctional many problems will begin to manifest themselves. The house begins to develop cracks, shifts, and structural problems. When your spinal foundation becomes dysfunctional you develop aches, pains, injuries, and other health related issues. The good news is you can do a simple spinal health checklist to determine if you may benefit from the expert intervention of a chiropractor or other healthcare professional. Becoming familiar with simple spinal anatomy, structure and function will help empower you to take control of your health. Your spine is composed of 24 bones (vertebrae); 7 in the neck (cervical spine), 12 in the middle back (thoracic spine), 5 in the lower back (lumbar spine) and the base tailbone (sacrum). Your soft spinal cord is encased inside these 24 moveable hard vertebrae to protect it from injury. Your spinal column has three natural curvatures making it much stronger and more resilient than a straight design. There are cervical, thoracic, and lumbar curves designed with precise angles for optimum function. However, these curves are different than the abnormal curves associated with scoliosis and postural distortions. You may remember getting screened in school or your doctor for scoliosis when they had you bend over and touch your toes. This was an early checklist for spinal abnormalities. Through life's stresses, genetics, trauma, injuries, and neglect the spine can develop dysfunctions in these curvatures and the body must compensate by changing posture as a protective mechanism.
What are some of the compensations your body develops and what can they tell you about spinal health?
Rounded Shoulders: This is a very common postural distortion resulting from more sedentary lifestyles. Hunching over in front of a computer screen hours on end simply feeds this dysfunction. This poor posture pattern adds increased stress to the upper back and neck because the head is improperly positioned relative to the shoulders. Common effects are headaches, shoulder, pain, neck pain and even tingling and numbness in the arms because of nerve compression by tight muscles.
Uneven shoulders: One shoulder higher than the other is indicative of a muscular imbalance or spinal curvature. You probably see this one on most people where one shoulder is migrating up towards the ear. Stand in front of a mirror and you can easily see if this asymmetry is present. You may also notice that one sleeve is longer than the other when you wear a shirt. This asymmetry is a common precursor for shoulder injuries, headaches, neck pain, elbow injuries and even carpal tunnel syndrome (tingling in the hands).

Uneven hips: Hips that are not level are like the foundation of a house that is not level. You begin to develop compensations further up the body so you remain balanced when walking. You develop altered spinal curvatures, shoulder positions, and head tilts. Your body has one primary purpose of maintaining symmetry and balance and it will do it whatever way is necessary. Signs of unbalanced hips may manifest in abnormal shoe wear typically on the outside edges and pants will fit unevenly in the leg length.
When you visit a chiropractor for a spinal evaluation some of the things they will search for during your evaluation are underlying signs of spinal damage that you can't see. Spinal x-rays are a safe and effective way to get look at your spine for damage or potential problems. Just like a dentist takes an x-ray of your teeth to see if you have cavities or problems with the bones below gum line. If problems are detected, corrective or preventive measures can be implemented to help your body function at optimum.
Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): This is not a real disease in the terms of how we think of them. DDD is term used to describe degeneration and excessive wear on the soft tissue disc structures between the spinal bones. It may come with age or from biomechanical asymmetries in movement causing excessive wear from overuse. Sort of like uneven treads on a car with imbalanced tires, one may be worse than the other. Although the degeneration cannot be reversed, once discovered there are strategies your chiropractor can implement rebalancing exercises and therapies to help prevent further damage.
Osteoarthritis: The breakdown of the tissue (cartilage) that protects and cushions joints. Arthritis often leads to painful swelling and inflammation from joints rubbing together. The increase in friction causes a protective pain response and excessive swelling where the body attempt to add artificial cushioning via swelling.
Herniated disc: A herniated disc is an abnormal bulge or breaking open of a protective spinal disc or cushioning between spinal bones. Patient's may or may not experience symptoms with a herniated disc. Disc diagnosis is conformed via a special imaging study called an MRI (\Magnetic Resonance Imaging) which observes soft and hard tissue structures. You cannot see or confirm a suspected disc herniation via normal spinal x-rays.
Spinal stenosis: The narrowing of the spinal canal the open space in the spine that holds the spinal cord. Stenosis is a more severe form of arthritis that typically causes radiating (referred pain down the arms or legs) from an irritated or compressed spinal nerve.
If you experience spinal pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, muscles spasms or swelling near your spine or arms and legs consult a healthcare professional. These are all warning signal signs from your body that something is wrong and needs your attention. Pain is how your body communicates its function with you. A car has dashboard warning lights that tell you when the car has a problem. If you chose to ignore the signals bad things are going to happen. Your body has its own warning light system. Start checking for the warning lights. Ignore them at your own risk. See your chiropractor for a proper assessment and any concerns.