Why Your Back Cries Out Every Time You Sit Down – Advance Physio Waterford

80% of people suffer back pain at some point in their lives. If you haven’t fallen into that category yet, pay attention, because you might at some point over the next few years. 
A major factor in the aggravation of many cases of back pain is sitting. You probably spend about 8 hours of your day sitting. That’s about as much time as you spend sleeping. Do you find that hard to believe? 

Sitting Causes Back Pain - Advance Physio Waterford

For most people the following are true: You sit down when you have breakfast. You sit down on your way to work (Who knows, you may even drive for a living). You sit down when you are at work. You sit down for lunch. You sit down at work after lunch. You sit down on your way home from work. You sit down when you have dinner at home after work. You sit down at home after dinner. You are probably sitting while you’re reading this right now. You get the idea. So why is all this sitting bad for you if you have a back problem? Well, there are two reasons: 

The first reason is that research shows that there is nearly 50% increased pressure on the discs in your spine when you sit down. That’s not all. When you lean forward when you’re sitting, this pressure increases to 80%. So this might happen when you lean forward to use a keyboard at work. Or even when you are reading something when you’re sitting. That continuous excess pressure on your spinal discs can cause you bother if you are someone with a back problem. 

The second reason is that when you sit, a muscle called the iliopsoas muscle is shortened. This muscle travels from your lower back to your thigh. When it’s shortened for long periods of time from long periods of sitting, it can become tight. And when it becomes tight, it can lead to problems that cause you back pain. 

So what can you do to to help with this problem? One thing that can make a big difference is to not sit for longer that 30 minutes at a time. Stand up, walk around for a minute or so, and then you can sit back down for another 30 minutes. Interrupting long periods of sitting in this manner helps in two ways: The first is that it takes away all that build up of extra pressure on your spinal discs. The second is that it will stop that iliopsoas muscle from tightening up too much. 

Now, have you been sitting for longer than 30 minutes while you’re reading this? Go ahead, you know what to do !