Slouched Sitting and Your Health

It is not a new concept that people are sitting more often and for longer periods of time. However, recent studies have not been able to establish a solid relationship between sitting, having a sedentary lifestyle, and low back pain. Conversely, other studies have shown that sitting in awkward positions may be a factor in an increasing incidence of low back pain due to improper sitting positions and sitting in one place for too long a period of time.

So what are you supposed to do?

Well, you can look at the findings from a few studies and get a general idea of postures that may help or hinder your spine as far as low back pain is concerned. One study found that leaning forward only 15 degrees increased the forces in your low back by a whopping 48 percent. On the other hand, leaning backward 10 degrees decreased those same forces by 19 percent. You can further reduce the pressure in your spine by supporting your upper body weight with your arms. This makes sense since less weight will be placed upon your low back area while sitting if you use your arms to support the majority of your weight.  

Maintaining a neutral sitting posture while seated can also offer benefits to your neck area by reducing the muscle activity on the back of your neck. One study showed 40% less muscle activity in the neutral sitting position when compared to a slouched sitting position. Another study showed that muscle activity increases on the back side of the body in an unhealthy way when the head is allowed to flex forward and is accompanied by an equally unhealthy decrease of muscular activity on the front of the body. This unequal and deleterious imbalance of muscular support can lead to many painful and debilitating conditions.

While it may be difficult to understand, sitting posture actually has a major impact on the shoulder joint which may lead to extremely painful shoulder conditions. A study showed that sitting posture can decrease shoulder range-of-motion while increasing pain for people suffering from shoulder impingement syndromes. On the other hand, it was demonstrated that an erect sitting posture can result in the ability to move better leading to an increase in active shoulder flexion (raising the arm upward in front of the body).

It is because of this and many related factors that your doctor should offer suggestions on how to sit, stand, lie down, and move in order to give your body the best possible chance of regaining its health. Good posture can also help your body resist the ravages of gravity over time so your joints remain as free of degeneration as possible. It may make the difference between you having a relatively pain free and happy life or a less than desirable and potentially miserable existence.