The Best Chairs for Lumbar Back Support | Everyday Health

Your back is aching, and it’s no wonder! You spend three-quarters of your day either sitting at the office or on a couch watching TV. But you don’t have to just grimace and bear chronic lower back pain. Proper posture, a good office chair and some simple lifestyle changes can bring relief...How much time do you spend sitting?If you’re like most desk jockeys, it’s as much as 40 hours a week at work.So if your office chair just isn’t right, your back health will suffer, leaving you with an achy spine, sore shoulders or stiff neck.“When a chair doesn’t support your spine, your muscles have to work harder, and you’ll feel fatigued at the end of the day,” explains Paul Cooke, M.D., a physiatrist (rehabilitation specialist) at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.After a while, the vertebrae in your lower back, known as your lumbar, won’t be able to maintain spinal alignment.That puts more stress on discs and joints, leading to more pain, he says.

Later, when you settle into your couch to watch TV, you may be worseningback pain.That’s because soft cushions offer even less lumbar back support than office chairs do.但是你的背部健康不必遭受桌面和海绵沙发的长时间。We asked back doctors and physical therapists for tips to finding the best office chair, relieving pain and even preventing varicose veins.

Sit Right
Lumbar back support:“In an office, none of the other adjustments you make – to your keyboard, mouse or desk – is as important as your chair,” says Marc Turina, a Pittsburgh physical therapist and ergonomics specialist who helps businesses provide body-friendly workplaces.“它为你的工作方式设定了基础，”他说。Cooke博士说，办公椅最重要的功能是保持腰椎的适当曲率。For this to happen, your pelvis needs to tilt slightly forward, adds Mary Ann Wilmarth, a Boston ergonomics specialist, physical therapist and spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association.“If your lower back isn’t properly supported, it’s almost impossible to put your upper back in a good position,” Wilmarth says.

If your chair isn’t supportive, attach a small lumbar roll where the chair meets your lower back, she advises.Posture perfect:坐在你的椅子上，请别人观察你的姿势或采取手机图片，以便你可以自己评估它，Wilmarth说。“Your ear, shoulder and hips should be in a vertical straight line.”To avoid wrist and back problems, “elbows should be at 90°-100° angles, and wrists should be straight out,” Turina says.您应该能够调整椅子的高度，使其与您的桌面相关的发生。Feel the floor:Feet should rest on the ground with hips and knees at a 90° angle, Turina says.If your seat is so high that your feet can’t feel the floor, use a footrest or pillow.没有膝盖压力：Make sure the seat doesn’t press against the back of your knees, says chiropractor Scott Bautch, D.C., an occupational health specialist and spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association.“Pressure behind your legs will cause poor circulation, varicose veins andspider veins,” he explains.

If your knees press against the edge of the seat, prop a pillow behind your back so you’re sitting farther forward – but make sure it’s still supporting your lower back.更好的是，买一个适合你身体的椅子。Go Chair Shopping
在市场上的新任椅？Find one that’s easy to adjust, says Turina. “The best office chairs have just 2-3 levers you can reach with just your right hand.”Luxury office chairs offer good support, says Dr. Cooke. Some also offer woven mesh seats for better air circulation, which helps keep the skin cool, he says.But you don’t have to buy a top-of-the-line chair to get good lumbar back support.“No research supports one specific chair over another,” Turina says. “It doesn’t matter how much money you spend. What’s important is that you’re comfortable in it.”Look for the following features:Lumbar back support:This slight cushioning in the back of the chair needs to rest in the proper place.How to know?

“Put your hand behind your back at about waist level. That should be the apex of the curve,” Wilmarth says. “If it doesn’t hit you in the right place, it doesn’t help.”Look for lumbar back support that can be adjusted up or down so you can move it into the proper location, she says.Seat height:Look for a seat that you can adjust.If it’s too low, you’ll tend to slouch, Wilmarth says. If it’s too high, you won’t have proper leg support.Recline:When working at your computer, you probably sit upright. But if you’re reading, talking on the phone or conducting a meeting, you can lean back.“A slightly reclined position relieves pressure on the spine,” Dr. Cooke says.扶手：These aren’t necessary in an office chair.But if you prefer them, look for “half rests, so you can push your chair up to your desk,” Wilmarth says.“If the rests are too long, you’ll need to push your chair too far out, forcing you to slouch or lean forward.”

轮子：If your chair doesn’t have wheels, you’ll need to twist your back when you turn around, says Wilmarth.You want to be able to move the chair instead of yourself.Adjustable seatback:Cooke博士说，对于高层支撑，椅子应该高且足够宽，足以让您的肩胛骨休息。Keep Moving
Sitting in any one position too long strains your back and other muscles, Wilmarth says. So it’s important to move every half hour or so.“只是站了起来,伸了个懒腰,然后由于散步d the room – even if it’s just for 30 seconds,” she says.另一种职业健康专家和美国脊椎按摩协会的另一个职业健康专家和发言人表示，频繁的拉伸也可以帮助。He recommends taking “micro-breaks” every 15 minutes in which you stretch your hands, neck and back while sitting in your chair.在您的办公桌上向前弯曲也抵达肩膀和颈部，注释Cooke博士。他说，将上半身重置在更中立的位置，将肩胛骨夹在一起。

“Hold for five seconds and relax. This activates your upper back muscles to support your shoulders and neck.”

Protecting Your Back at Home
Avoid the sofa.It’s not the best choice for sitting for long periods of time, says Dr. Cooke.“Most sofas don’t offer much lumbar back support, and there’s a tendency to slouch.”Instead, use a recliner or an easy chair with back support.Check your posture.Resist the urge to slump down in your chair during a “Real Housewives” TV marathon.“Have your feet on the ground,” Dr. Cooke says. “And sit far enough back in the chair so your seat makes contact with your thigh muscles.Recline.是的，La-Z-Boy实际上适合你。There’s less strain on your lumbar discs when you’re in a reclined position, and having your legs slightly elevated can improve blood flow, Dr. Cooke says.Expensive recliners, advertised as “stressless” or “back-friendly,” are fine, he says, but not necessary.“Any comfortable recliner is good,” he says – just make sure it supplies some lumbar back support.

用枕头作为道具。Since most easy chairs don’t have lumbar support for your lower back, “use a pillow or lumbar roll to maintain curvature,” Dr. Cooke says.If you don’t have one handy, use a rolled-up towel, adds Wilmarth.If your feet aren’t resting on the ground, use a pillow or footrest, so knees don’t dangle.Bend your knees.如果您喜欢在咖啡桌或奥斯曼脚上放松身心，请在膝盖和臀部保持轻微的弯曲。“如果你的腿直接出来，它会留下你的低压背部和坐骨神经[从你的臀部从你的臀部跑的神经纤维]，”威尔玛尔斯说。For optimum support, place a small pillow under your knees to keep them in a slightly bent position.访问我们Pain Health Centerfor more information.