Ask the Osteopath

The Skill of Sitting
Many of us spend hours each day sitting at a desk. By improving posture and learning how to sit correctly our chances of developing backache can be greatly reduced .The discs in the lower back are particularly vulnerable to damage by incorrect posture Sitting puts one and a half times more pressure on the back than standing and sitting in a slumped position can raise this pressure to twice as much.  The key to keeping pain free is not to sit up straight but to sit keeping the normal ‘S’ shaped curve of the back and to have adequate back support.  Here are a few general rules to help avoid problems.

The Head should be over the shoulders and in line with the buttocks.
The eyes should be level with the top of computer screen and the base of the screen should ideally be no more than 21 degrees below the eyes.

The bottom should be seated on a chair that angles forward 5-15 degrees so that the knees are lower than the hips.  The seat should pull under the desk with the lumber spine supported.  Sitting forward should be avoided unless the chair has a tilt that allows your back to stay supported.  If you are working from home with a dinning room chair it is possible to put a book under the rear chair legs to angle the seat down and cushions in the back of the chair to achieve this position.

The feet should be flat on the ground, one foot in front of the other and often alternated.  A footstool may be needed to raise the feet to a comfortable height.

The Arms should be placed so the elbows are at right angles and the forearms are parallel to the ground when the keyboard and mouse are used.  If this cannot be achieved the desk is the wrong height.  The mouse should have a support for the wrist.

Movement is the key to a healthy back, so get up regularly and stretch. A good ‘desk set up’ is one that is easily adjusted for different tasks as well as for different people. Prevention is better than cure so if you want any advice on specific problems or to see if we can help improve existing problems please give us a call for free advice.

Steyning Osteopathic Clinic is located in body matters.  We may be contacted on 01903 813500

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