Laura Landseidel

Low Back Pain in a Sitting Culture

Usually, our feet hurt from standing too long. But often, foot pain can be attributed to too much sitting.

Every day I see people who want a massage for pleasure. Instead, they find their way to our office with chronic low back pain. Oftentimes, their back pain gets worse after a long drive, flight, or after a ten-hour marathon in front of the computer.

As a sitting culture, our bodies have a lot to complain about. Only in the past century have our bodies had to spend more time sitting than shifting, reaching, bending, squatting, lifting, and resting. As our culture becomes more technologically advanced, we depend less and less on our bodies for everyday functions. They become those machines that get us from our bed to our car and our car to our next activity. Well, you’ve heard the mantra before - “use it or lose it.” This applies to the body as well.

It takes about two minutes to circulate blood through your body. Blood is a fluid that transports healthy nutrients and oxygen to the connective tissues of the body, those tissues that stiffen, ache, and pain after a long day sitting. Blood also transports irritating waste products away from the connective tissues so they can be removed from the body.

It takes joint and muscle movement for a healthy amount of “tissue wash” to take place in the body. Imagine rinsing out a filthy sponge. You squeeze the sponge, but it takes a few times to completely flush out the filth from the sponge. Your tissues are just like that. Every time you move your joints, they are flushed with fresh nutrients, heat, and oxygen.

So, take this lesson with you the next time you want to sit. Your body needs to get up. Give it some attention too!

Here are some helpful suggestions to nurture your body in a sitting culture.

1. Take a 10 second range of motion break every 30 minutes. Yes, 10 seconds does make a difference! Get up and MOVE. It’s not a great idea to just tie yourself to one position for more than 20 minutes at a time.
2. Learn a two-minute range of motion routine. Many yoga lovers are already familiar with one--the Sun Salutation.
3. Ask your personal trainer to show you hip flexor stretches. These use muscles such as the quadriceps and iliopsoas.
4. Attend Pilates classes regularly.
5. Request that your massage therapist perform range of motion techniques during your session.
6. Become aware of your sitting postures. It’s OK to slouch from time to time, but chronically abusing this posture wreaks havoc on your spine. Imagine tying a board to your back and anchoring it by your sacrum and your mid-back. Every time you slouch in your chair, you break the board and begin to build up strain in your low back.
7. After a long car trip, give your muscles a chance to shake off their fatigue before you remove the heavy luggage from the back of your car.
8. Receive a Trager session. This unique form of bodywork intertwines thousands of joint movements in one session.

Not only will you rejuvenate your joints, muscles, and spine, your concentration and joy will return as well. Less pain and tension means more energy and fun. Now, go do some arm and neck circles!