What is Lumbar Support in Ergonomic Office Chairs
Sitting for long periods adds huge stress to the spine, increasing stress in the back, shoulders, arms, and legs. It can add large amounts of pressure to the back muscles and spinal discs which can cause or worsen any existing back problem.
About one-third of the UK population experiences back pain every year. Triggered by a number of things: incorrect lifting, slips or falls and poor posture and sitting incorrectly or unsupported. Bad posture is the most common reason for back pain. The most common back problems are lower back and lumbar pain.
Many of us are guilty of poor posture at our computers – the natural tendency is to slouch, hunched and leaning forwards. This posture can overstretch the spinal ligaments, straining the discs and surrounding structures in the spine. Over time this incorrect sitting posture can damage spinal structures and contribute to or worsen back pain.
Sitting actually requires a great deal of muscular effort to keep your body upright and given the amount of time that we spend nowadays sitting down, good sitting posture is more important than ever.
Complete reactive back support, particularly in the lower back (lumbar) area will help improve your posture while seated. This reactive support is particularly helpful if you also have lower back pain or pain and discomfort in the hips and pelvis.
Our chair backs are designed alongside health professionals and physiotherapists to give the very best support possible. Differing backrest shapes offer different levels of support. Sculpted to the natural shape of the spine to reinforce positive posture, backrests are corrective supportive solutions.
They can be enhanced with the addition of lumbar support cushions, either height adjustable, padded or inflatable. These lumbar supports are more than ‘cushions’. The size, shape and firmness of a lumbar support is carefully designed to make small but important differences, to maximize back support.
Built into the backrest, an inflatable lumbar support increases contact area and supports the natural ‘S’ shape if the spine. The back height adjustment of the chair allows you to position the lumbar support into the correct area of your back, and with an inflatable lumbar the ‘pump’ allows air to be pumped into the cushion withing the backrest to give you total control: to inflate or deflate the lumbar support and fine tune it to suit your requirements and changing needs.
This ability to customise and adjust the chair to your changing requirements will ensure your chair becomes ‘reactive’. As you fatigue throughout a long day at your desk you are likely to require different support. A long-term solution to back support
Lumbar support can also play a part in supporting treatment you’re receiving. Your physiotherapist or other health professional may recommend adjustable lumbar support for you to reinforce positive posture. Full contact support is preventive and corrective.
Small habits can lead to big changes if given enough time. Don’t wait until your conditions get worse to start changing. Make changes now for better posture.