Like the entire body, our spine requires special treatment. Being in a sitting position for a long time, we have no idea how much our backs may suffer, due to the wrong spine position.
Our spine consists of 35 layers with soft interlayers between them. Spinal discs give us the opportunity to move and bend. From within this structure, there is a channel with nerve endings and the spinal cord which provide communication with the entire human body. That’s why the spine is called the main part of the body line of any animal and person.
Everyone knows that spine diseases often depend on us, and the ones like hernia, osteochondrosis, and spinal curvature can be prevented. These and many other diseases are contracted due to a motionless lifestyle, an irresponsible and inattentive attitude to the body in adolescence, in the early formation stage.
There’s a great risk that our irresponsibility will lead to endless pain. If you started to feel pains in your back/lumbar area, then most probably your chair does not provide the right support for your back. This is the most important factor for creating a special kind of chairs. Specialists in this area know how to help in such cases.
To do this, you will need to specialize your regular furniture, especially the chair or recliner
To date, a large number of different chairs are produced. One of the varieties of these comfortable pieces of furniture is a chair with a massage function. Such chairs have a built-in roller that can roll up and down your back, flexing and stretching your spine.
The pros of such a chair:
- Great weight capacity.
- Flexible and shock-absorbing design, very good for moving on it.
- Long life and durability.
A new chair at your workplace is the perfect gift for you and your spine. When choosing it, pay attention to how comfortable and convenient it is for you. It should be neither too soft nor too rigid.
How to choose the right recliner or chair for your spine?
When choosing a comfortable chair, pay attention not only to the appearance or comfort but also to the adjustment mechanism of the chair:
The backrest should recline properly and match the curves of your spine.
The height should be such that your buttocks are at the same level with your bent knees.
Your hips should not be squeezed in the chair.
After adjusting the chair (which is pretty easy), don’t drop yourself into the chair. This is one of the reasons for your spine curvature. If you are traveling on public transport or driving a car, try to take the most comfortable sitting position. Stretch out your spine a bit – this will allow you to save your posture. The body weight should be transferred to the hips, ankles, or feet.
These days, scientists are developing a variety of options to correct the spine deformity. Orthopedic chairs, or like recliners for back at the home dweller are quite helpful in this, contributing to the maximum spine relief.
The advantages of an orthopedic chair:
- Reducing the risk of musculoskeletal system’s chronic pathologies (scoliosis, osteochondrosis) occurrence and development. This is due to the fact that a quality chair allows you to hold the spine evenly.
- Maintaining the correct posture which prevents the pathological displacement of the spine. This, in turn, saves you from the intervertebral hernia formation which can subsequently cause circulatory problems.
- Rational legs/feet position, provided there is a special footrest. When your feet are correctly “parked” on the floor, the risk of flat feet is split in half. This is especially important in childhood.
- Normal blood circulation. Due to the correct position of the body, the risk of vessel crushing is eliminated. This is especially important for the circulatory system which provides nutrition to the brain, which, in turn, contributes to more productive work.
- Convenient positioning of the entire body. Specially designed ergonomic office chairs help the body to take the most comfortable position in which the risk of muscle leakage from the lumbar, neck, or other parts of the body is reduced to a minimum.
- Ability to change positions. Orthopedic chairs, equipped with all kinds of adjustment mechanisms, allow you to relieve certain body parts, which contributes to their relaxation.
Orthopedic armchairs are designed for a comfortable sitting in terms of general and comfortable working. If you spend more than 2 hours in front of your PC that causes your back to hurt with time, you definitely need such a chair. Its adjustment is quite simple.
What should an ergonomic chair be equipped with
If an orthopedic computer chair is chosen to suit the body structure, it is much easier to spend time in a seated position. If a model is supplemented with a rigid headrest, which qualitatively supports the neck, and a lumbar roller that perfectly repeats the curves of the spinal column in a seated position, the person is able to sit much longer and work more qualitatively. Additional details allow not only to relieve tension from the lumbar region but also prevent the occurrence of osteochondrosis.
Depending on personal preferences, you can choose a chair without or with wheels. However, it is much more convenient when the wheels are available, especially if they are multi-directional – you can easily move without getting up and, thus, save time on the movement.
Considering stoppers that block the rotation is also a good thing. This is necessary to ensure that the chair is located in the right place. When choosing a chair without wheels, the following must be taken into account: in order to move it without damaging the floor covering, the product must be raised. This is not always easy to do alone, especially if you have back problems.
Another important point is the presence/absence of armrests that ensure the correct position of hands. Not everyone considers armrests to be a must, but doctors do agree that their presence is desirable. They provide support for the elbows which, in turn, prevents back problems. If your hands are always on the keyboard or it is a special chair for a laptop with a stand, the armrests can be neglected because, in such cases, they will be superfluous.
The obligatory elements of a comfortable ergonomic chair are mechanisms that you can use to adjust the height/depth of the seat, to give the backrest the necessary angle, as well as adjust the armrest height. The cheapest variants of orthopedic furniture are equipped with a single pneumatic mechanism which provides elementary adjustment of the chair height.
The up/down movement is facilitated by a lever located underneath the seat. A more complicated design is considered to be a spring-screw mechanism which allows for changes in three directions, namely: up/down the height of the seat, forward/back and higher/lower (changes the position of the backrest relative to the seat).
Vertebrologists, spine surgeons, note that rocking helps to relax muscles and relieve fatigue, and this reduces the risk of spine diseases.
It is also important to have a reclining mechanism which makes it possible to lean easily on the back if necessary. This action is available thanks to the lever which is able to lock the backrest in the most comfortable position. Before buying an armchair, ask about the weight capacity and the backrest strength.
