Lower Back Pain When Sitting – A Common Problem When Working From Home

August 12, 2020
Kinetik Chain Denver Physical Therapy

Since the pandemic which sparked a rise in remote working, our clinic has noticed a big increase in patients struggling with lower back pain when sitting.

In this blog, you can learn why lower back pain is a common problem for people working from home, how to get drug-free relief, and the best way to end lower back pain when sitting for good!

Cause Of Lower Back Pain When Sitting

There are a variety of reasons lower back pain can occur when sitting.

Some can be relatively minor, and usually, fully heal themselves after a short period of rest and recovery. This could be a small muscle strain caused by over-exerting yourself when exercising, carrying children, or taking the grocery shopping from the car.

Another common, but the overlooked cause is poor posture. Sitting for long periods of time in a poor position is a recipe for disaster and can wreck a once-healthy spine and lower back.

Then there are more serious conditions that could lead to lower back pain when sitting. This could range from Sciatica, a herniated disc to spinal stenosis.

For these problems, you would definitely benefit from speaking to medical professionals who can complete a thorough assessment and create tailored recovery plans.

Lower Back Pain For People Working From Home

Many remote workers who struggle with lower back pain usually have a poor setup – either working on laptops resting on their lap, or on dining room tables that leave them slouching.

Combining this with other issues such as poor posture, a lack of stability in the surrounding muscles, and other health conditions can create a lot of pain in the spine and lower back.

If you are a remote worker, take some time to consider how your body is positioned when you are sat…

Are you hunched over?

Is your lower back supported in your seat?

Are your knees, hips, and shoulders all in the correct alignment?

By correcting your work area, and improving your posture, you may notice a big reduction in lower back pain.

Natural Ways To Ease Lower Back Pain When Sitting

If you are sitting for an extended period of time, one of the simplest solutions is to simply stop sitting – try to get up every 30 minutes, even if it’s just to stand tall and stretch out your hips and hamstrings.

By moving, you allow muscles and joints to keep mobile which will play an important part in reducing low back pain at the end of your work day.

If you’re in pain right now, a natural way to ease lower back pain when sitting is to use ice and heat on the affected area.

Using an ice pack or bag of frozen peas on your lower back for up to 20 minutes at a time can reduce pain and minimize any swelling.

Alternating this with a heat pack or hot water bottle for the same length of time can help relieve joint stiffness or muscle spasms.

Whether you use one, or both of these options, never put the ice/heat item directly on your skin. Instead, wrap the item in a towel to avoid damage to the skin.

These 3 methods; moving every 30 minutes, using ice, and using heat, should provide some low back pain relief when sitting and working from home without leaving you reliant on painkillers.

My Lower Back Hurts When Sitting And Won’t Go Away – What Should I Do?

If your lower back pain keeps coming back, or is getting much frequent or more painful, there may be something more serious causing the problem.

And if left untreated, chances are that it will only get worse.

Right now, we are offering a limited number of Free Back Pain Assessments in our Denver clinic where you can discover the most effective treatment options available for your lower back pain.

You can also arrange a Free Telephone Consultation or call us on (720) 651-0674 if you prefer to speak to a member of the team from the comfort of your own home.

Our team have worked with hundreds of patients struggling with back pain with a variety of treatments including Physical Therapy, Massage Therapy, and Dry Needling.