Lumbar Back Support

According to a recent study by the Herman Miller Group, back pain is the most expensive health problem for working adults, it is the second leading cause of doctor’s visit and the third reason for the surgeries. 40 employees were studied within an office for 160 hours, 93% of working time was done seated. Due to the intensive use of computers we are sitting down more than ever before in history.

As a result, approximately 85% of the complications experienced by office workers when they are 50 years old have to do with back issues.

Most back pains are not a result of accidents or falls, they are the result of a slow and steady damage caused over time by a sedentary and artificial position, worsened by the use of common office chairs.

It is believed that the physical causes of back discomfort are mostly due to the following factors:

• Sitting in a sustained and prolonged unnatural posture. Maintaining a posture for a long time reduces blood flow and decreases nutrients.
• The inconvenience or non-neutral postures of the spine can cause stretching and tearing of muscles and ligaments.
• Compression. Too much load on the intervertebral discs due to unnecessary extra weight can lead to fractures
• Localized contractures. The pressure on the dorsal area and the legs can affect blood flow in the lower body. 

Ask yourself how you feel at the end of their workday. Are you tired and cranky and still feel fresh and vigorous? Good ergonomic equipment makes a marked difference. Your own body is the best measure of your actual needs. You can adapt to a poor working environment for one to two hours a day, but over time a bad chair, as is usually the case with office seats, the wrong desk, poor lighting, will impact adversely on the persons health. Ultimately, having an ergonomic equipment is vital to their health and job performance.

The meaning of ergonomic

Ergonomics is the branch of engineering that studies the influence of working conditions on productivity. Hence it applies to product design and equipment, mainly for the workplace, in order to maximize productivity by reducing fatigue, stress and discomfort.

It is one of the fastest growing industries in the workplace. If you take a look at local sales of office equipment they will offer products that are supposedly “ergonomic” but not all are. Being seated all day, often at the computer typing, can cause severe spine problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck and back pain, constant headaches and other health related problems.

Many people spend years working many hours a day sitting in the wrong chair due to lack of specific information about which characteristics determine that a chair is truly ergonomic. In general, office chairs are not ergonomic.

The variety of “ergonomic features” offered by modern office chairs can often be overwhelming and many are not truly ergonomic according to modern health standards.

Due to continuing research in this sector, office equipment makers increasingly focus on providing a design that properly reflects the advances in ergonomics.

Invest in a good chair, ergonomic and comfortable, which offers good back and leg support may be the most important step in creating a work environment that is healthy and productive, even if you work alone.

Good ergonomic chairs are not cheap, but takem into account that your health is at stake.

If your budget is tight, consider getting a good used chair instead of a new one that is not ergonomic.

Basic Characteristics of a Good Ergonomic Chair:

1. True lumbar support: many cheap chairs say they have lumbar support, but real lumbar support is more than just having a pad, it is one that keeps the natural curvature of the space that occurs in the human back.
2. Gentle curve in cascade: the edge of the chair relieves pressure on the blood vessels of the thighs and prevents leg cramps, cold feet and varicose veins. The front edge of the seat should slope gently downwards and should not pressure the thighs.
3. Padding: Less is more. People make mistakes when buying very padded chairs – with time, the stuffing will adapt to poor posture in your back.
4. Mobility: the chair should be able to glide effortlessly to allow the body to make relaxed movements
5. Arm rests: Let the chair and not the upper part of your back support the weight of the arms while working.
6. Depth: A deep chair can be problematic for a small person. When sitting with your back well supported, should be enough space between the edge of the chair and your knee for a fist to fit.
7. Height: Make sure the chair is high enough that your thighs form a 90 ° angle with the floor.
8.  Feet support: Consider having a footrest if the chair is too high. Keeping your feet flat on the floor will help restore the natural curve of your back. 

A well designed back support brace helps correct your posture, helps you keep upright by pulling back your shoulders. Bands tighten the mid-section of the body and makes you keep the abdominal muscles contracted. They help reduce stress upon the spine and helps your muscles keep a balanced support of the upper part of the body.

Braces help you regain and learn the new posture, keeping your back straight, blood circulation is stimulated and you once again breath correctly. If you feel a burning pain somewhere along your back you might consider it a sign that you may need a lumbar support brace. If you participate in stressful activities, that may affect your back, some type of back support will be necessary. For example, moving furniture or heavy objects, yardwork, building, mechanical work, all these activities are specially hard on the back.

Take into account that a back brace is not the solution to lower back pain, it’s a way to alleviate the pain, but it is not a permanent long-term solution to the problem. Looking for other back support options may not be the solution. Together with physical support, you should also start a routine of back and abdominal exercises. In many cases lower back pain, or pain in general is a result of weak muscles.

Personally, I was prone to inhabilitating pains, cramp like contractions along the spine that lefy my back looking like a curvy road, the pain was so severe I would not even be able to get out of bed. Rest was all that was needed, but the real solution came with a regular exercise routine, both dorsal, upper and lower back training, coupled with lower and mid abdominal routines have made those pains a thing of the past.

Each person, specially if you are over 30, should of course be supervised by an expert, but never forget that many of your ailments are the result of either poor posture or lack of muscle support, which can be solved in part by strengthening the muscles involved in keeping your upright position. Something else that us very recommendable is to exercise in a symmetrical way, swimming, aerobics, karate, etc., all train the body in a balanced fashion, both sides with the same intensity and in a constant way. Tennis, squash, football, soccer, etc., all tend to be biased toward one side of your body, the dexterous arm or foot and should be avoided, at least when starting out.

Whatever you decide, whichever option you choose to aleviate your lower back pains, a back support brace may be a help along the way to obtain a strong and pain-free back.