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Why Office Chairs for Posture is the Best Type of Chair for Back Pain

Most businesses are willing to invest in ergonomic chairs to ensure that everyone working there would be comfortable, healthy and productive. But what most people don’t realize is that just because a chair is ergonomic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the chair you should be using if you have back pain.


Ergonomic chairs are designed mainly for back support. But the most common cause of back pain in working adults today isn’t the lack of back support; it’s improper posture. When good posture is maintained, the core muscles strengthen which helps reduce the incidence of back pain. When you have bad posture, your core muscles weaken and your center of balance shifts. This puts unnecessary strain on muscles that were not designed to support the weight of your head and torso.

And to make matters worse is that the resulting pain often spreads to the shoulders, neck and head. So if you want to get an office chair for back pain, it’s not enough that it would provide back support. It needs to provide support in a way to make it easier for the person sitting to maintain good posture.

Why aren’t ergonomic chairs the ideal office chair for back problems? Isn’t lumbar support enough to help maintain good posture? At first glance that seems to be the case. When we think of bad posture we think of a person slouching over the computer, with their shoulders hunched and their lower back curved out. Lumbar support would push the lower back, forcing the spine to curve the right way again. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?

Yes, lumbar support does work that way but it also created a new problem: spinal hyperextension. Because the lower back is pushed forward, the mid back and upper back leans back. But because most of us look down to our monitors (which is the right way to do it by the way), our shoulders are pushed back but our necks and heads lean forward. This creates an exaggerated S shape that creates pain in the lower back, upper back and neck, making the problem worse instead of fixing it.

This is why an office posture chair is the best option if you’re suffering from back problems. How does an office posture chair work? Instead of just providing lumbar support, posture chairs provide both pelvic and mid back supports. The pelvic supports forces the person to stay properly seated, preventing them from sliding forward and curving their lower spine. The mid back support aids the spine in achieving the mild S curve that the back naturally has, instead of the exaggerated curves created by lumbar supports. This dual support system help maintain good posture, so even at rest, the back doesn’t curve or slouch, it simply rests on the chair.

Don’t let all that money you’re spending on office furnishings go to waste. If you want an office chair for back pain and other back problems, get a posture chair. Invest in your health just as much as you’re investing in your business. It will be worth it.
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