Help me chair

March 21, 2022 4:22 PM

YANM physical therapist and I am trying a number of medical avenues to help with this issue. But in the meantime I turn to you, oh wise hive mind. What can I do to mitigate horrible back pain from sitting? Particularly looking for cushion recommendations. Specifics under the fold.

The short version is if I sit on a regular kitchen, dining, or office chair, or if I drive for long distances, my back hurts when I go to stand up again. Sometimes really badly. On the other hand, I've been working from a cushioned armchair and that is totally fine and comfortable.

What I've tried so far: my primary care doc, a chiropractor, an acupuncturist, a foam mattress topper, stretches, daily walks. Coming up: physical therapy and I have hopes that may help.

I try not to stay seated for too long but even the length of a meal is starting to hurt. So do I need butt support? Back support? If an armchair is fine, there has to be some way to alleviate the pain. Are the arms the crucial thing here? Any ideas would be welcome!

posted by Threeve to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

You don’t need butt or back support, you need to do Pilates so you have stronger core muscles. Sorry, cushions only go so far (ask me how I know.) But seriously, Pilates, you’ll notice the difference in about two weeks.
posted by Jubey at 4:40 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]

I somehow arch my back too much when I sit in a hard chair. You could think about how your pelvis is tilted as you sit and whether intentionally tilting it slightly more forward or back helps.

Also, as already stated - core strength - pilates, planks, glute bridges, etc. (not just sit-ups).
posted by lab.beetle at 5:04 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

I think the physical therapy will help! It did for me at least.

Last spring, after a (strangely non-dramatic) back injury, the pain was so excruciating I couldn't sit in a chair for more than 15 minutes without extraordinary pain when I stood up. My desk and dining room chairs were the worst. The sofa was slightly more tolerable. I could lie flat on my back and kneel and sorta walk (at first even walking was hard for more than a few steps). PT was really important, and they gave me a series of exercises that I did everyday, and a few I did a few times a day.

I don't think this is about finding the right chair; I think it would be better to sit less. Do you have a laptop and can you create some kind of temporary standing desk situation? Then you can alternate between standing and sitting (and sit only for brief periods).

I did get a Variable kneeling chair, and that was helpful, and I could use it comfortably for longer than I could sit. You might look at that if you can kneel comfortably (well, aside from discomfort in the knees, I mean; the chair is padded).

My PT said that some of the small muscles along my spine were frozen and so the biggest muscles were doing the stabilizing work the little muscles should have been doing. She gave me a series of exercises to reactivate the little muscles, but we started them with modifications for what I could do at that point. They included bird dogs, calf stretches, walking side squats with a resistance band, and glute bridges. I can't say if they'd work for you!

I do want to encourage you to work on this with the PT and to continue to keep building up whatever the weaknesses are, as my experience has been that this is something that can go away temporarily, but you really need to strengthen the core to keep yourself from getting hurt again. Good luck!
posted by bluedaisy at 5:14 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oh so happy to share this with you: NadaChair
Life-changing
posted by superelastic at 5:15 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

A ball style office chair has helped me in the past as did a kneeling chair, but yoga really solved the problem long term.
posted by gregr at 5:30 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

I have also found that using a ball chair helps with my lower back pain, and if I have to sit on a hard chair I use a pool noodle that's been secured at the ends to make a loop and then I sit inside of that loop, which helps to redistribute the pressure to my hips instead of my tailbone. It looks silly but it's cheap and effective.
posted by mezzanayne at 6:44 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you for the answers so far! I do use a standing desk and could try other chairs, but if I'm, say, at a friend's place for board game night, or driving a car, that doesn't apply. I could bring a cushion though in either of those situations which is why that was the focus of my question.

I also forgot to mention yoga, and yes, it definitely helps. I haven't felt comfortable yet returning to Pilates but that's a great idea.

But.... chairs?
posted by Threeve at 8:09 PM on March 21, 2022

I was battling with office chairs, trying to find something that was comfortable, and an inability to sit due to pain when I bought this in desperation, not really hoping for much. I bought a Purple-style pad previously that was not that great (it’s like a plastic grid) so I was dubious a cushion could help. The Cushion lab cushion is really great - it makes sitting in any chair more comfortable. I’m extremely happy with it.
posted by jeoc at 9:11 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]

Similar to jeoc, I got a tailbone cut out cushion (also known as a coccyx cushion) to put on my hard dining table chairs. I've also had some success with a wobble cushion (intended for wiggly kids I think)!
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:08 PM on March 21, 2022

I have this when my SI joint is out of place and the best thing I did for myself was find the deepest folding cushion I could, sew a handle onto it, and take it with me everywhere. Memory foam pushed back too much, but there were plenty of online options that are other types of foam. It was cheaper and easier than finding new chairs and also helps tons when out in the world, too.
posted by foxtongue at 8:51 AM on March 23, 2022