Holding a desk job means sitting for a prolonged time. In Australia, employees work for up to 38 hours per week, 7.6 hours each day. Well, in some cases, the employees might have to work overtime too. That’s when your employees need ergonomic office chairs and ergonomic chairs. They can provide you with stability and comfort. Poor posture from being seated on standard office chairs can lead to low morale and poor employee health.
So, when you purchase the chairs, you and your employees will be able to focus on your work for longer periods. You will find them to be more adjustable than the traditional office chairs. Well, you can customize the seats to fit your body type. In addition to this, they can enhance your job satisfaction and improve your productivity. Moreover, your back pain will begin to improve as these chairs can reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. Well, there are three reasons that allow ergonomic chairs to reduce back pain. You can read them further and learn the three reasons.
1. Proper hip and pelvis alignment:
The improper alignment of the pelvis and the hip can lead to lower back pain. The top of the pelvis looks similar to a bowl of soup and it must be kept from spilling backward and forward. On the pelvic bone, some bony structures called PSIS and ASIS must be level relative to each other when seated in a correct position. The ASIS is located on the front of the pelvic bone, whereas the PSIS is located on the back. Your low back can have a slight arch when the bony structures are leveled. When the ASIS and PSIS are leveled, it means that there will be less strain on your lower back.
Rocking side to side can allow you to feel pressure on the bony structures called ischial tuberosities. They are also known as sit bones or sitz bones. In case you have been seated on a hard bench, you must have felt your ischial tuberosities pressing into the surface. Many people sit with their pelvis tilted backward.
This position is called posterior pelvic tilt or sacral sitting. The flexing of the lumbar spine results from straining on the muscles and ligaments of the lower back. When you sit in the sacral-sitting position by leaning against the chair’s back, a hammock effect will be created in the lumbar spine. Hence, you and your employees require ergonomic chairs for proper hip and pelvis alignment.
2. Reduce the need for repetitive trunk flexion:
Sitting with a poor posture in a traditional office chair can increase the need for repetitive trunk flexion. If you sit in a slouched position, you might have to lean your trunk forward while reaching things on the desk. In case it occurs several times in a day, you will experience excruciating lower back pain.
But when you sit on an ergonomic chair, it will support your back and encourage you to sit erect. You will be able to reach everything on your desk or workstation without any additional strain on the back. Furthermore, you won’t have to lean forward.
3. Prevent slouching and forward head posture:
Your shoulders roll forward and create a slouched posture if you sit with a sacral sitting. Sitting in front of the computer monitor allows your neck to move into extension and causes pain, headache, and muscle guarding. You must make sure not to work on this position continuously. Slouching can occur due to internal and external factors.
The internal factors include obesity, weak trunk (core) muscles, and tight hamstrings, whereas the external factors include too long or too short seat depth, low armrests, and vertical seatback. Due to the design of the ergonomic office chairs, external factors can be corrected. The adjustable seat depth can prevent slouching and support the lumbar spine.
A few chairs will allow you to adjust the angle of the seatback. Using a properly adjusted ergonomic chair can help you prevent forward head posture and slouching.
Read more on KulFiy