Is Your Back Killing You? – Maybe It’s Your Chair!

How can you produce your best work if you are sitting in an uncomfortable chair?
Do you get niggling pains in you lower back? your neck? Or your shoulders? Maybe its time to look more carefully at the chair you are sitting on. How is it designed?

For several hundred years there was no change in the basic design of the conventionalchair. The seat was set at a 90 degree angle to the backrest – an ‘L’ shape.
Some of the early additions to the standard chair for use in offices were:-
A swivel action which allowed the user to swing around – maybe the designer was fascinated with merry-go-rounds!
Next there was the wonderful up and down action of the hydraulic lift. People of short stature had to come up with a footrest of some sort if they wanted to be relatively
comfortable at work. A common drawback of these devices, at least in the early days, was that the gas leaked from the system and then the seat “let you down”. A further addition to the “office chair” was the provision of armrests.

It was not until the 1970s that a major change to the basic ‘L’ shape of the office chair came about through the studies and research of a Dr. A.C. Mandal in Denmark who was one of the pioneers in proposing the benefits of a forward-sloping seat. Dr. Mandal had found that the only way he could remain seated without incurring backpain was to lean
forward on the front legs of his chair. He also observed that many school children did the same thing when trying to ease back pain brought on by poorly designed school furniture.
Mandal recommended that the seat pan should slope forward by 15°. When we take up this position our lumbar spine does not need to flatten out to assume the seated posture
and our hips and trunk are at the optimum position of balance for the muscles.

By tilting your seat forward you alter your centre of gravity from behind the sitting bones (ischial tuberosity) to directly above them. As a result your muscles do not have to tense
up or contract to maintain an erect posture. At the same time the lumbar curve ( or lordosis) is restored and pressure on your discs is reduced.

Some of the more common objections to early versions of the sloping seat were:-
You tended to slide forward.
Too much weight was placed on the feet.
Your clothes tended to ‘ruck up’.

Forward-sloping kneeling chairs were produced to incorporate Mandal’s suggestions – using a knee rest to prevent slipping forward. Most of the weight is taken on the knees and while this reduces pressure on the discs, the muscles had to work harder to maintain an erect posture when there is no backrest. As your muscles become tired there is a natural tendency to slump.
In addition to these problems your knees and shins can become quite sore after a time since there is no provision for changing the knee position. Getting in and out of the chair
can be somewhat difficult because of interference from the central pillar.
Despite the various drawbacks mentioned, however, many thousands of these chairs were sold because of the obvious relief given to the discs through the forward-sloping seat
taking pressure off the spine.

Kneelsit Balance Chair
When you allow the seat pan to tilt forward your pelvis rotates forward, this posture produces the least amount of stress on muscles, tendons and discs, since your spine is
correctly aligned. It also pulls the chest out, increases lung capacity and makes breathing easier as well as
improving the working of the heart and blood circulation; it also allows you an open abdomen, which aids digestion.
When your pelvis is tilted forward your lumbar spine curves naturally and the rest of your spine follows. This is the ideal posture when working upright – as at a computer. When
you have a backrest – as in the Kneelsit chair – this backward tilt can also be used to relax
the spine and take pressure off your disks and muscles, for example when you are reading or just chatting.
The real secret, however, to maintaining a healthy spine is to have a chair which allows
free-flowing, natural movement between both forward and backward tilts. This sets up a continuous “pumping action” which feeds and nourishes the cells of your spinal discs,
exercises your back muscles and allows you to sit for hours on end with very little discomfort.

About the Author

Gregory J. Usher B.Ec., Dip.Ed., F.A.I.I., M.Psych. is the designer and Inventor of a unique patented ergonomic computer chair named Kneelsit The Chair for Life which has been selling via the Internet since 1996.
To learn more about the author and this unusual chair you may like to visit the author’s
website – www.kneelsit.com/

Most of us who spend our days in an office spend the majority of our time seated. Unfortunately this position can be strain on your lower back and spine. To help avoid the pain and discomfort associated with these problems it is important that you use an ergonomic office chair. Ergonmic chairs help to encourage good body posture and support your lower back while seated.

There are many different types of ergonomic office chair on the market today. Each person will need to see which models work best for their unique needs. There are many features that an ergonomic chair will need to have to give you the proper support.

This article will discuss some of the features your new ergonomic office chair must have. One of the key features of an ergonomic office chair is the ability to adjust the height so that you are comfortable.

The easiest adjustment mechanism is a pneumatic one. For most people a seat height adjustment which ranges from around 16 to 21 inches off the floor. When seated in your chair your thighs should be horizontal when your feet are flat on the floor and your arms should be at the same height as your desk.

One of the other important features of ergonomic office chairs is lumbar support. Without lumber support people often slouch which can lead to strain on the lower spine. Good ergonomic office chairs will feature lumbar support which is adjustable so you can adjust it to provide support for your lower back.

It pays to also think about the width and height of the seat when selecting your new adjustable office chair. The chair should have sufficient width so that you will be comfortable. The most common width of office chair is between 17 and 20 inches. The height adjustable chair should be deep enough so that you can sit back against the backrest with a two to four inch gap between the back of the knees and the seat of the chair. You also want to be able to adjust the tilt of the seat.

Being in the office business, you should expect to pay around $250 to $350 for a good office chair. Even though top of the line office chairs can cost thousands of dollars, they usually aren’t any more comfortable than a $300 chair. It’s probably not the chair itself that you’re paying a huge price for, but rather the brand name. But if you’re looking for the Best Ergonomic Chair, you’ll probably pay a little more than a more standard model.

You can also get acceptable, basic office chairs for about $100 if you’re on a tight budget or you’re not concerned about longevity. Some of the best value, lower end office chairs are made by Wallace and Global.

Keep these guidelines in mind as you investigate various makes and models of office chairs.

Repair issues: Find out if there are replacement parts available for the chair model you are considering in case of breakage. If the parts have to be shipped to your office, you should find out who is responsible for shipping charges, as they can tend be quite expensive. If shipping isn’t an issue, get firm details regarding delivery.

Discounting: Most retailers are inclined to offer discounts to their customers. You can still receive a significant discount off the manufacturer’s suggested price even if you’re just purchasing one chair. As you buy more and more office chairs, the discount will keep getting bigger and bigger. Therefore, it’s always a smart decision to buy your office chairs in bulk. If you have a lot of employees, you’ll save hundreds and maybe even thousands of dollars. Everyone wants to save some money if they can, particularly if you’re running a business.

Trials: If you plan to buy a lot of chairs at a time, you should ask for a few trial chairs to be brought to your office. Then, you can let your employees vote for the chairs they like best. Even though a standard chair will be sufficient for most people, it may be necessary to purchase other chairs as well. For instance, people who are heavier or taller than average will need a suitable chair in order to be comfortable. People come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, so it’s logical that not all chairs will be comfortable for all people.

Making your decision: You can purchase your chairs either locally or online if you prefer. They might be less expensive if you purchase online, but don’t forget to factor in shipping costs. Buying locally is the best way, especially if you are buying many different office chairs.

Those planning on getting the most from their office and employees should look into the most comfortable office chairs for the money. Your employees will feel and work much better with comfortable ergonomic office chairs, which is reason enough to make the investment and go that extra mile.