Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Movement is key to keeping your spine strong and healthy as you age, but for a large portion of Americans, they are confined to a desk or similar limited-movement role at their job for 40 hours a week or more. Prolonged sitting can greatly increase your risk of different spinal issues, but you can reduce these risks if you are proactive in how you approach your job and the time you have when you’re off the clock. In today’s blog, we discuss some of the ways you can protect your spine in the event you regularly sit for extended periods.

Preventing Sitting From Being Hard On Your Back

Sitting can be hard on your spine for a number of reasons. Even if you have ideal posture, prolonged seated sessions means that static pressure is placed on certain segments of your spine for extended periods. Over time, this chronic strain can speed up spinal disc degeneration or weaken other structures that support and stabilize the spine.

If you have poor posture, the problems will only compound, and bad posture habits are incredibly common if you’re forced to sit for hours on end. You want to relieve that static stress and change how stress is placed on your spine, so you may hunch forward or slouch down in your chair. It may feel like relief in the moment, but bad posture only amplifies the stress that certain areas of our backs undertake. Odds are poor posture habits will lead to more stress on the cervical or lumbar portions of your spine.

Problems continue if you aren’t smart about some daily habits when you’re off the clock. If you remain rather sedentary when you’re not working, your spine isn’t going to get the regular movement it needs to remain strong and flexible. Instead, the spine gets weaker and the effects of prolonged sitting become more impactful. Similarly, if you have poor eating habits and you gain weight, your spine is forced to shoulder even more stress throughout the day, further expediting the spinal degeneration process. The inactivity cycle can be difficult to break free from, but by making some gradual changes and simple adjustments to your life, we’re confident that you can achieve lasting improvements to your spine health.

Keeping Your Spine Healthy If You Sit A Lot

Many of the ways you can work to protect your spine if you sit a lot are rooted in understanding some of the threats to your spine health that we mentioned above. With that in mind, here’s what we typically recommend to patients dealing with back pain that is caused or worsened by prolonged sitting.

• Move When You Can At Work – Find little ways to stand up and move more often at work. Take a call while walking, or simply stand up and walk to tell a co-worker something instead of sending them an email. This will regularly help to relieve the static stress that’s built up on your spine.
• Posture Improvements – Strive to be more cognizant of your posture throughout the day. Keep your head positioned directly above your shoulders and make adjustments if you find yourself hunching or slouching. This can help prevent prolonged excessive strain on the upper and lower portions of your spine.
• Stay Hydrated – Drink plenty of water at work to stay hydrated, as this will help improve blood circulation at a time when it may be a bit limited given your seated position. This can help stave off muscle cramps and similar types of discomfort.
• Exercise Outside Of The Office – We understand that you may be a bit physically and mentally drained after a say at the office, but it’s imperative that you find time to regularly exercise. Aside from helping to keep your spine strong and mobile, exercise can actually boost your energy levels and improve your mood, so it can be great for shaking off the effects of a long day at the office.
• Mindful Eating – Because you may not burn as many calories as others who move more throughout the day, it’s important that you are mindful of what you’re eating when you’re on and off the clock. Poor eating habits and excessive calorie intake can lead to weight gain and amplify the amount of stress on your spine throughout the day.

For more tips on how to protect your spine if you sit for extended periods at the office, or to overcome a back problem that has been lingering for some time now, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

Comments are closed.