Take care of your back with better seating - kneeling chairs

Sitting here working at the computer I am in an old secretary style chair with no arms on it, a seat that rocks and a backrest that offers little or no support to my back. Not exactly the most ergonomic of setups.

There are chairs that are designed to be ergonomically friendly, however. Chairs such as the kneeler chair that gently tilt the hips forward so the back is straightened, promoting the S shape that lets the weight be evenly distributed. This even distribution is a large factor in reducing back pain, particularly pain in the lower back.

Being the most common cause of job-related disability, low back pain is also a leading contributor to missed work, with Americans spend an estimated $50 billion each year on ways to cope with or relieve the pain.

When low back pain lasts for more than 3 months it is considered to be chronic, while pain that only lasts from a few days to a few weeks is considered to be Acute or short-term.


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Starting at the top, the spine has four regions:

• the seven cervical or neck vertebrae (labeled C1–C7),
• the 12 thoracic or upper back vertebrae (labeled T1–T12),
• the five lumbar vertebrae (labeled L1–L5), which we know as the lower back, and
• the sacrum and coccyx, a group of bones fused together at the base of the spine.
  

The lumbar region of the back, where most back pain is felt, supports the weight of the upper body.
Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm
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Some suggestions that pertain to caregivers that the NINDS specifically state in their list for ways to have a healthier back:

• Ask for help when transferring an ill or injured family member from a reclining to a sitting position or when moving the patient from a chair to a bed.
• Don’t try to lift objects too heavy for you. Lift with your knees, pull in your stomach muscles, and keep your head down and in line with your straight back. Keep the object close to your body. Do not twist when lifting.
• Maintain proper nutrition and diet to reduce and prevent excessive weight, especially weight around the waistline that taxes lower back muscles. A diet with sufficient daily intake of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D helps to promote new bone growth.
  

As caregivers it is essential to take care of our backs. Our care recipients depend on us to be strong and healthy for them, to perform tasks that are difficult if not impossible when we have back pain. By employing proper lifting techniques, exercise, proper nutrition and the use of ergonomic office furniture such as work spaces set to the proper height and chairs like the kneeler chair, we can better maintain our own health and thereby provide better care for the health of our loved ones.