Are you aware that sitting in an office chair is harmful to both short term and long term health? Unless you have a chair designed to negate back pain, the stresses of sitting on your bones and muscles could contribute to major muscle aches in the neck, back, shoulders, and head. New studies have shown that stressing these muscles for five days a week for years at a time could increase your risk of heart disease and cancer. The physical therapist experts at PhysioDC say that one of the common problems with office furniture is choosing a chair that is too large.
There are some easy ways to tell if your office chair is too large. If your feet are not comfortably touching the ground, you could be losing a significant amount of lumbar support through your legs. You should have a minimum of 1-2 inches of space between the back of your knees and where the seat of your chair starts when you are comfortably seated. If scooting back in your chair causes your feet to lift off the ground or your knees to cram up against the chair, your back is not getting enough support.
Your arm rests should also be able to move up and down to accommodate where your elbows are resting as you type, as proper arm height is one way to help prevent the onset of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.
If your chair does not meet these needs, it is too large. Remember that manufacturers make three sizes for chairs (A, B, and C), and note that many chairs have been created specifically to combat back pain. Check to see with these companies to see which size best suits your needs based on your height and physical fitness, and you will no longer be putting your body at risk.
PhysioDC is a physical therapy office located in Washington, DC. They offer fully individualized physical therapy regimens to assist patients from the elderly to Olympic athletes. Also offering custom orthotics, specialized hand therapy, and ergonomic evaluations, PhysioDC is Washinton, DC’s premier physical therapy office. For more information, visit them online today.
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