Whether you are an adult working from home or a student, you might be considering building an ergonomic set-up. You have finally gotten your ergonomic furniture and immediately noticed the difference and how much better you feel after long hours at the table. Your ergonomic chair enables you to focus on your work or study for extended periods, and you no longer experience severe backaches.
Ergonomic chairs are specifically designed to enable individuals to sit comfortably for an extended period of time, be it working or studying. There are more customisable and adjustable than typical chairs, allowing you to adjust them according to your body fit or seating preference. Using such chairs is beneficial in boosting productivity and satisfaction while reducing the risk of developing musculoskeletal injuries such as backaches or scoliosis. Here are five ways using an ergonomic office chair can help to alleviate pain.
1. Adequate back support for healthy posture
The top reason why ergonomic chairs help to alleviate backache is their ergonomic design. They are made to support a natural posture, thus reducing any unnecessary stressful pressure on your body. The chair’s backrest generally covers your entire back from your shoulder to your hip. Some ergonomic chairs even offer adjustable lumbar support to support your lumbar region further.
Other ergonomic features such as adjustable armrests, seat height, and seat depth allow users to enjoy reduced muscle fatigue in their key body regions, such as shoulders, arms, knees, and hips.
2. Proper pelvis and hip alignment
One common factor of lower backaches while sitting is poor alignment of the pelvis and hips. In the right position, your pelvic bones should be level with one another, resulting in reduced strain on the lower back region. Many of us do not practise proper sitting habits and, as a result, sit in a leaned-back position. This position causes our lumbar spine to hyper-flex, resulting in an increase in muscle and ligament strain.
3. Prevent forward head posture and slouching
The problem with not using an ergonomic chair is that, eventually, you might develop a slouched posture to view your books or computer monitor. In this position, your shoulder blades shift backwards while your head moves forward. If you are looking at your computer monitor, you might even bend your neck backwards, further exaggerating your forward head posture. This prolonged position often leads to headaches and muscle guarding.
Slouching and forward head postures are usually the results of the limitations of the chair design. The seat depth may be too short or long, the backseat of the chair is too straight, or the armrest is too low.
With ergonomic chairs, they allow you to adjust the tilt and angle of the seatback, thus preventing forward head posture and slouching.
4. Lower the need for repetitive trunk flexion
One side effect that a typical desk chair brings is that the development of poor seating posture leads to the need for repetitive trunk flexion. When you develop a natural slouched posture, you might find it hard to reach certain items on your desk without having to lean forward. Frequent times of having to lean forward often result in lower backaches.
An ergonomic chair with adequate back support encourages your body to develop healthy sitting, allowing you to reach with ease any item you need on your desk without having to put additional strain on your lumbar.
5. Improves comfort
Most ergonomic chairs are made with better quality materials as compared to most non-ergonomic chairs. The seat and back cushions are thicker and contoured to fit your body better. Some ergonomic chairs even offer increased adjustable lumbar support. If you have longer legs, you can raise the chair’s height or increase the seat depth. If you have a longer torso, you can raise the armrests to support your elbows better. The key to improved comfort is the ergonomic chair’s ability to easily adjust almost every one of its components to accommodate varying body sizes and shapes.
Conclusion
Ergonomic chairs help to alleviate backaches by encouraging the user to adopt a healthier sitting position through proper alignment of the spine, hips, and shoulders. An ergonomic posture decreases unnecessary pressure on the body and prevents the development of bad postures. While they might be generally more costly than typical chairs, the benefits of using one outweigh the cost.
If you are looking for other ergonomic furniture and accessories, such as adjustable study tables, you may do so by visiting us at our online store at https://www.takeaseat.sg/ or at our two physical locations: North furniture shop at Woodlands or East furniture shop at Ubi.
