Desk Job? Choose the Best Chair for Your Back

What is the best chair for your back? Well, what do you do for a living? 

If you’re like millions of other adults, you work at a desk job. From administrative assistants to researchers, solopreneurs, pet groomers, analysts, financial planners, and many more, there are plenty of career paths that typically involve sitting for hours every day.

While you may take it for granted that your profession requires you to sit for hours a day, you need to be aware that sitting for prolonged periods of time daily can lead you to experience pain. This type of pain includes:

• Acute lower back pain that can evolve into chronic lower back pain
• Numbness
• Neck pain
• Herniated discs
• Joint discomfort
• Misaligned spine

Extended periods of sitting every day can even lead to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, which is why sitting too much is often viewed as a greater threat to your health than smoking. Sadly, hours of working out will not undo the damage caused by sitting too much.

Although all of that may sound pretty bleak, there is a remedy to sitting too much. And it’s to be proactive and invest in a high-quality chair that can help you avoid suffering from the maladies and discomfort sitting too much can cause.

Guidelines for an Ergonomic Office Chair

Whether you work in a home office or a formal work environment, having the right kind of chair can go a long way towards you avoiding having to make an appointment with a doctor or physical therapist to address lumbar spine problems, issues with your sacroiliac joints and other problems. A chair with an ergonomic design is widely thought to be the best office chair for your back that can guard against the health problems that can arise from sitting too much every day.

Here are some guidelines you should keep in mind as you search for the best chair for your back, and shop for an office chair that has an ergonomic design:

Adjustable Height

Unless you’re using an adjustable workstation, or even if you are using an adjustable desk, you need to make sure the desk chair you choose can adjust to the height of your workstation when you’re sitting. Your task chair should be able to adjust so that you don’t have to put undue strain on your arms, neck, back or thighs.

Adjustable Armrests

If your seat is at the right height, but your arms aren’t parallel to your spine when your hands are on top of your desk or keyboard, you’ll need to adjust your arm rests. Having properly adjusted armrests is critical to preventing you from slouching forward, which can lead to strain on your spine and shoulders. If you can’t manipulate the arms rests so your elbows are at an a 90-degree angle, you’ll need to continue shopping for a desk chair.

Seat Depth

Seat depth is an important consideration when it comes to comfort and support. When your rear is firmly against the back of your chair, see if you can fit your clenched fist between your calf and your office chair. If that’s not possible, the chair is too deep. To alter the depth of your chair, move the backrest forward and use a lumbar support cushion.

Back Support

For a desk chair to be right for you, you need to be able to sit with your back against the back of the chair. The chair should also have a cushion that forces your back to arch a little bit, which will prevent you from slouching or slumping. If you can’t sit properly or the chair doesn’t have the right kind of cushion, it can put unnecessary strain on your lower back, especially your lumbar discs.

If you want an office chair that checks all the right boxes for preventing health issues, you’ll want to invest in the best chair for your back. The Embody Chair by Herman Miller is an ergonomic chair made specifically to support proper circulation and prevent back pain. If you sit for hours and hours every day, the Embody Chair by Herman Miller is definitely worth a look.

Contact Branko PRPA M.D.

If you’re already suffering from the consequences of sitting too much and need more information on the best chair for your back, Branko PRPA M.D. can help. As one of Wisconsin’s most sought-out physicians, Dr. Prpa is a leading back specialist and expert spine surgeon located in the Midwest. To learn how Dr Prpa can help you, contact Branko PRPA M.D. today.