Back pain and chairs.

• Know of any good chairs for back pain? - cindylouwho
  • PS - me2
  • Did you try pillows? - MslaMT
    • Back pain and chairs. - Heidi
      • try looking this up sm - me2

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I do try to sit up straight and hold in my abs, which helps the back.  I also try to remember to breathe deeply once in awhile - raise up your rib cage and take in a good deep breath.  I also switch the pedal foot, sometimes use the left and other times the right.  I started doing that long ago when I got to thinking - what if I had a cast on my right foot, how would I work? Started using both feet - solved that problem.

My problem is my shoulders.  I do shoulder rolls at my desk and also do stretching.  They still get tight though.

And my RIGHT THUMB!  From hitting the spacebar so often.  When that gets bad, I pad it with a Band-Aid.

In the past I have had the same problem, but I found that when I lowered my chair it was greatly improved.  It seems I can type faster with my chair higher, but when I lower my chair I have much less pain.  It is something to do with the angle in which my arms are..  When they are pretty much level with the keyboard that is a great improvement in the pain, although I have to sacrifice a little bit of speed it is well worth it.  I also use a split keyboard which also seems to make an improvement in my pain.  I have been at this work for 30 years and believe me I have had pain in all parts of my body related to sitting in this chair in the same position for many hours at a time.  I wish you well.

I have been having tremendous problems with upper back pain right between my shoulder blades and up into my neck and right shoulder for weeks now.  It makes typing just miserable.

Doc said I had brachial plexopathy, and gave me narcotics and told me to quit transcription.  Since that isn't an option -- any ideas as to how to keep from getting this excruciating pain after an hour of typing?  It goes away on weekends when I don't sit at the computer, so I'm sure it's largely related to my positioning.  I've tried to fix my posture, but sitting up completely straight hurts worse than slouching.

Share any stretches, techniques for arm positioning, etc.  I will be extremely grateful.

Thanks!

Hello,

I would not reccomend sitting on a ball for the whole day. I know there has been a lot of hype around using exercise balls as seating but it actually causes stress on your back rather then creating "good posture". Also, it is not natural for the back to be in constant "good posture". The besy posture is to constantly re-position to create movement and comfort in the spinal cord.

Yes the Aeron chair is expensive but a great chair. I work at Herman Miller so I'm lucky enough to sit in one all day. You can get a base Aeron for around $600CAD. Not everyone needs all of the add on features which brings up the price.

I'm not a big fan of the foam and fabric chairs because they tend to trap dust, dirty easily and can smell over time. I also don't like that foam and fabric chairs don't breathe.

If any of you are looking for an Aeron or any other herman miller product, feel free to e-mail me and I can quote it out for you. shannon_fitzpatrick@hermanmiller.com

Take care,

Shannon

I'm trying to find a chair that is comfortable all day (and sometimes part of the night) long.  I know some of you here have had the same problem.  Suggestions, please??? 

Thanks! 

Okay.  So, I have gone through two chairs trying to find a truly comfortable one and I am just not having any luck.  I believe because I am constantly trying to adjust myself to get comfortable in my chair, it affects my productivity.  My rear end starts to hurt and my tailbone will get sore when I shift.   I am just so tired for the search for a comfy chair.  So, would you all mind sharing with me a fairly economical comfortable chair preference? 

Thank you so much,

Just thought I'd pass this along in case anyone is tired of sitting in the same old chair everyday while they work.  I've seen this "tip" before but never bothered to try it until recently. 

I purchased one of those large inflatable exercise balls and use it instead of a chair.  It's a very refreshing change.  I did have to learn to balance a bit because in a chair you can move around, even when you're not aware of it, and the chair is stable but the ball isn't.  It also helps me keep better posture, is easier on the low back/sacrum, and I think it is helping my abdomen because you are working your abdominals and legs while sitting there. 

Anyway, it was worth a try for me.  I may not use it all the time but it is a great change. 

Thanks for any and all of your opinions! 

The old saying that you get what you pay for is true when it comes to these cheap chairs! My back always hurt and I was having to buy a new chair at least yearly. You do the math; I've already had the $1000 chair five years and I quit having the backaches five years ago. This chair is no where close to wearing out and will last me at least another five years, probably more. So, if you think that spending $200 every year on a cheap chair is worth it, you go right ahead; I didn't hear anything but thanks for the OP for my suggestion.

The butterfly type back support?  Can't remember the exact name for it.  Do you think the chairs are worth the money?   Thanks.

I'm not sure how many people they are hiring but you shouldn't stress too hard over it. Do the best you can.