People often come to conclusions that it takes an injury to cause back pain and that resting the body is the best thing to do when the back hurts. These things can be true, yet they don’t tell the whole story. In reality, much of back pain is caused by sitting too much and failing to move the body enough. Let’s take a look at how spending too much of our time sitting affects the spine and its discs, as well as what you can do about it.

How a Sedentary Lifestyle Impacts the Back

Sitting can cause a lot of problems for the back, especially during periods of ongoing sitting. It puts pressure on the neck, back muscles, spinal discs, and limbs, according to UCLA Health. When you slouch in a seated position, which many people do, you can add stress to the situation by overstretching the spine. Through prolonged sitting, you can develop back pain and problems to the spinal discs.

What Can Help Back Pain From Too Much Sitting?

Move More

If you have back pain and notice that you sit during a significant portion of your time, which is common in modern society, the best thing you can do is aim to move more. This can include simply taking regular breaks from your seat to stretch and move around, as well as getting in aerobic, strength and flexibility exercise. You can start with low-intensity, low-impact exercise and ask a medical professional for advice on safely exercising with back pain.

Sit Correctly

When you are sitting, focus on sitting with good posture. This means following rules of ergonomics to put your body and spine into the best possible position. For example, when sitting, your buttocks should reach the back of the chair and the natural lower back arch should be supported by cushioning. Get an ergonomic chair for office work and adjust it to best fit your body.

Try Chiropractic

For back pain and spinal problems caused by too much sitting, chiropractic care is another solution. Chiropractic care can put the spine into alignment and improve posture to help undo damage caused by prolonged sitting. This type of holistic health care is meant to complement a healthy lifestyle with movement and proper posture.