In the quest to ease Lower back pain caused by prolonged office sitting, many turn to painkillers, massage, acupuncture, or heat therapy. However, a simple change in office chairs might hold the key.
Lower back pain
Lower back pain during office work often stems from prolonged sitting, which experts advise combating with regular breaks to relieve strain temporarily.
Recently published in Applied Ergonomics, a study by University of Waterloo researchers compared dynamic sitting—using a backless chair with a rotating seat pan that encourages movement—to traditional, static sitting in a conventional office chair with a backrest and armrest.
The study, titled “Traditional versus dynamic sitting: Lumbar spine kinematics and pain during computer work and activity guided tasks,” was co-authored by Jessa Davidson, a Biomechanics Ph.D. candidate, Kinesiology Ph.D. student Jackie Zehr, and Drs. Paolo Dominelli and Jack Callaghan.
Researchers discovered that dynamic sitting increased lower spine movement during activity-guided tasks without compromising posture or inducing pain, compared to traditional chairs. Participants engaged in blocks of regular computer work and activity-based tasks, such as games requiring hip and pelvis movement, while seated.
“The best posture is a changing posture,” noted Jessa Davidson, emphasizing the study’s findings. “When our participants used the dynamic chair for computer work or games, we observed no increase in lower back pain—an encouraging result.”
With an estimated 619 million people worldwide suffering from lower back pain, concerns extend beyond quality of life to productivity and work-related absences.
The study monitored spine movement, pain levels, and work productivity, finding no decline in performance when participants used the dynamic chair instead of the traditional one.
In addition to promoting movement, the dynamic chair also offers stability—a significant advantage over other dynamic sitting options, such as stability balls. It features adjustable tilt in multiple directions (left, right, front, back) tailored to each user’s body proportions for optimal comfort.
To track chair movements, a phone attached to the chair or carried by the participant provided real-time feedback via an app developed by the chair’s manufacturer. Motion capture technology and tri-axial accelerometers recorded participant movements during the tasks.
While the study focused on the short-term effects of dynamic sitting, Davidson hopes future research will explore its long-term benefits. Establishing further guidelines for using dynamic chairs requires additional evidence on their impact on sitting-related pain and injuries.
“Different dynamic chairs offer varying degrees of movement and padding,” Davidson explained. “Exploring these designs could uncover even more effective solutions.”
Davidson also expressed interest in studying dynamic sitting among individuals with chronic pain, extending beyond healthy populations to assess potential pain reduction benefits.
In conclusion, dynamic sitting presents a promising approach to alleviating lower back pain caused by office work. As research progresses, insights gained could shape future recommendations for office ergonomics, benefiting millions worldwide.
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