Lower Back Pain and Stiffness - Help with Chair Purchase and Exercise Selection

I find using a foam roller and having a lacrosse ball to hit pressure points that are causing me aches works really well. If you have a bottle of water around the house, freezing it solid and using that to roll on pressure points helps me too.





Sounds like you got an actual injury though which just requires rest.

 

Have you tried an inversion table? Relatively cheap and Ive always found it to help.

 

Prop your feet up so they are level or slightly lower than your hips/ back as often as possible and start doing the classic yoga stretches for your back and hamstrings (after healing up again). Ice and heat often as noted.

 

the very first one she does in this video is what my pt showed me and has consistently helped now for several years. I have disc loss in part from a laminectomy years ago and this is the main thing keeping me from surgery.

 

Not at all the same as your situation, but...

I had 24/7 right arm/shoulder pain because of poor workstation ergonomics. It was a searing pain that I could feel all the way from the shoulder to my fingers.

What I did was:

Bought a vertical mouse
Bought a sit-to-stand desk (and keep it at the stand position 99% of the time)
Raised monitors to eye level

This help significantly, and the pain is just about gone.

So, again, it is not too similar, but in regards to what chair you should get... I would suggest getting a desk that elevates. Standing is better than sitting.

The desk I got, after the options and stuff, was about $700. Not cheap, but well worth it to relieve the pain I had.

https://www.fully.com/standing-desks/jarvis.html

 

pretty much, yes. it's the easiest one to do with no muss and fuss, and by itself it seems to keep me pretty loose.

I'd say if you can get on your stomach and prop yourself up with your arms, no need to wait. I think it might help. I also use a heating pad to loosen up, but if you've recently re-tweaked it ice might be a better choice.

no real thoughts on the chair. something firm that helps you sit upright and avoid slumping. maybe someone else will have some recommendations

 

If you're looking for a big soft executive type chair start with Office Depot. If you're looking for an office chair, find a *used* office supply place or two that carries high-end office chairs from the likes of Herman Miller, Steelcase, etc. Explain your situation and ask that you be allowed to exchange the chair if it doesn't work out (what feels good for five minutes may not feel so great after one or two hours).

Try out the video below as well. Believe it or not it works. Whatever you do, don't aggravate matters.

 

I never use a classic office type chair anymore where I sit upright with my feet flat on the floor -- I use almost a gamer style chair with low armrests so I can type with the keyboard in my lap and my feet propped up. This really made a massive improvement for my lower back -- I really don't like standing desks -- I'll use an exercise ball for short periods, but mainly for stretching. I don't use a chair with wheels on it anymore either -- I think they are better with a base.

 

Word on The Street is that an unnamed NFL QB also has a problem with ... lower back pain and stiffness.

 

Unfortunately I don't. I've had a chair custom built for me at a previous employer. They took my measurements and everything. I tested out several chairs and ultimately chose a particular one, with the help of an ergonomics specialist.

It arrived a few weeks later and they assembled it for me, and I sat in it....... and I hated it. A week or so later I came in early one day and subbed it out for a random chair in a meeting room.

Office chairs are so specific to the person, imo. Much more so than a couch, for example.

The office chair that I use at home was a previous Budget pick from Wirecutter and it's been good. You could always check out their other and newer recommendations, but I can't vouch for them personally.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-office-chair/

 

The anus is not considered part of the lower back.

But seriously, I've dealt with disc issues on and off (thankfully off for the past couple of years), and there's really no bad advice in this thread. The bbs delivers again.

 

The rotation stretches were recommended for me and the work. Plus stretch ham strings and strengthen your core.

 

Hanging upside down supposedly helps. Have to gradually get to a full extension when first starting out.

 

WRT the chair :

I've had back surgery in the past and gave up on the typical $100 Office Depot chairs because a) they fall apart within a year or two, b) their warranties generally suck, and c) they're only comfortable for about a month or two. I splurged on a Herman Miller Embody back around June 2017. There's also a thread about ergonomic chairs or something on here from back then, I think. After about 3.5 years of use, it's held up better than the typical office chair. It's not as comfortable as it was initially -- at least I don't think so. The seat itself doesn't seem to have the cushioning it used to have. One of the armrests seems to have a bit of wear, but no biggie on that -- it still functions. I kind of miss a headrest on it and the armrests seem like afterthoughts. It's still 60-70% as good as I initially thought when I bought it -- at least perceived. Which is where its 12-year warranty hopefully comes in. We'll see when I attempt to use it, but from what I've read, they do honor their warranties. But like I said, after almost 4 years, it's in better condition than most Office Depot chairs I've bought have been in after 6 months.

I guess I'm saying, no matter how a chair feels initially, a few months/years down the road, it may feel different. And if you opt for cheaper chairs, they'll probably be less comfortable quicker or fall apart. The answer to your question is probably some combination of chair, seating adjustment, exercise, looking into other things that may be causing your back issues. There may be no magic bullet (as is usually the case with back issues).

 

I bought the Herman miller. I have back and knee pain as I have been a nurse for about 7 years. I’m fairly young but most of the nurses that I know whom have worked for a long time have some sort of back pain. I got an Herman miller aeron a few months ago. The back pain seems to be a little better. Don’t expect a chair to instantly resolved your back issues. Try dieting, exercising, and stretching to help with your back pain.

 

Teeter FitSpine X Inversion Table, Back Pain Relief Kit



​