Ergonomic Office Chairs for Sciatica: Your Key to Comfort
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is the name given to pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. This nerve is the longest in your body, running from the back of your pelvis and down both legs to the feet.
While people with Sciatica can also have general back pain, the pain associated with Sciatica usually affects the buttocks, hips and legs, far more than your back.
What are the Symptoms of Sciatica?
The first symptom of Sciatica is lower back pain accompanied by leg pain. These simultaneous symptoms are usually an indicator of the condition before you realise you have it.
You may also experience burning or tingling sensations in the affected area.
Hip pain is also a common symptom, as well as constant pain along one side of the buttock or leg, and rarely affects both sides at once.
The pain associated with Sciatica travels and is often found in more than one place. For example, you may notice the pain starts in your lower back or buttock regions and continues down the back of your thigh and into your lower leg and foot.
Aside from pain, you may also get pins and needles often in your buttocks or legs. And a weakness or numbness in your legs and feet.
Lastly, if you sit in a slumped position at your desk, you’re also at higher risk of developing sciatic pain.
Can sitting give you Sciatica?
There are numerous types of musculoskeletal, nerve, muscle, and joint pains that can occur as a result of sitting in the wrong type of chair, or worsen due to a pre-existing condition.
Sitting in uncomfortable or poorly designed office chairs for too long can cause or aggravate the symptoms of Sciatica. As the entire weight of your upper body is shifted to your lower body, placing pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Finding a chair that reduces sciatic nerve pain is crucial for comfortable and productive working. Fortunately, at Ergonomic Chairs Direct, we sell a number of office chairs for Sciatica, which will help to minimise your discomfort.
Finding an Ergonomic Chair to Help With Sciatica
It can be difficult to manage Sciatica, but it’s not impossible, even if you are desk-bound for the majority of your day.
When finding a desk chair for Sciatica, it’s important to consider your individual needs and be conscious of further damaging your sciatic nerve unintentionally. Being mindful of your habits, and choosing the right chair for Sciatica pain will be invaluable for alleviating your discomfort.
Firstly, you should consider your posture. Sitting correctly is crucial when you suffer from Sciatica, especially if you sit for prolonged periods throughout the day. Fortunately, ergonomic office chairs for Sciatica can encourage correct posture with a series of adjustable mechanisms including:
- Seat Tilt
Many office chairs for Sciatica include a seat tilt mechanism. By utilising it, your knees will rest slightly lower than your hips, and open your pelvis upright. This reduces the pressure on the sciatic nerve and re-aligns the lower spine.
Sometimes users find relief from using a 90° or rear seat tilt, which provides even more flexibility and options for adjustment.
- Seat Size, Padding and Shape
The size of the seat will encourage you to fully engage with your backrest. If your seat is on the shallower side, it will prevent you from pushing back and sitting up straight. A seat slide feature will also help to deepen the seat to fine-tune to your requirements.
The rule of thumb is that taller people will need a deeper seat than petite users. So if you’re quite tall, it’s worth looking for a chair with a bigger seat.
Also, desk chairs for Sciatica with padded seats will help to absorb the pressure your body places on your sciatic nerve by conforming to your body shape.
Lastly, waterfall-edge seats will take pressure away from the back of the knees and the nerve extending down the legs. So it’s beneficial to browse different seat shapes too.
- Backrest Recline
Most desk chairs for Sciatica will include an adjustable backrest, which reclines to relieve pressure from your lower back muscles and spinal discs. The backrest itself is ergonomically designed to support your upper, middle and lower back.
When you sit for extended periods, your back will fall into an unnatural shape. So it’s important to have a back rest that encourages and allows your spine to maintain its natural ‘S’ shape.
- Lumbar Support
As the pains associated with Sciatica stem from the lower back, office chairs for Sciatica often include lumbar support. This allows you to adapt the shape and curve of the backrest with an inflatable cushion, which supports your back’s natural inward curve.
Your desk chair for Sciatica must help you maintain the normal curvature of your lower back to keep it healthy and strong and remove any pressure from the lower spine.
- Seat Height
A chair with a height-adjustable seat will allow you to sit up straight with your feet flat on the ground, positioning your knees slightly lower than your hips. This ‘opens’ your pelvis and realigns the lumbar area, maintaining blood flow to the lower body and reducing pressure on the pelvis, hips and lumbar.
- Armrests
Lastly, one of the most valuable standard features of a desk chair for Sciatica is adjustable armrests. By supporting your arms, you put less strain on the upper back, which, when kept comfortable, reinforces a good alignment with the lumbar.
How can Ergonomic Chairs Direct Help?
Here at Ergonomic Chairs Direct, we have a range of office chairs for Sciatica suitable for all body types. Whether you’re tall and work for four hours a day, or short and only work for a few, you will benefit from a specially designed ergonomic chair for Sciatica.
Our chairs can be customised to your requirements and delivered in as little as a few days after purchase.
Browse our range of ergonomic office chairs for Sciatica now and experience more comfortable working.