When Sitting Becomes a Pain in the Back

Have you ever stood up from an extended period of sitting only to find that it is extremely painful to stand all the way up? Do you have this type of pain anytime you spend an hour or more sitting? If so, I completely understand what you are suffering through. I have experienced pain that results from sitting as well, especially when I sit for very long periods of time. Since I have to sit while at work, you can imagine the amount of pain I have to deal with on a daily basis. It can be completely crippling and eventually will start to interfere with your daily life. So, what can we do about this type of back pain?

What is the Cause of Your Back Pain?

Before you can do anything about this pain, you have to understand what the root cause may be. If you are like millions of other people who suffer pain from sitting, you are suffering from something called "muscular imbalance." This simply means that some muscle groups in your body have been overworked while others have not been worked enough. This occurs when you are sitting with many muscles in a relaxed position while using other muscles in other areas of the body. These imbalances can be quite painful and are likely the cause of your pain experienced after sitting.

Treat Back Pain from the Root of The Problem

Now that you know what the root cause of your pain may be, what can you do about it? For starters, you can learn some stretches that target your hip flexors, lower back, and hamstrings. The hamstrings are stressed out by a lot of sitting because they are support for the knees, which must remain in a bent position a lot of the time when sitting. The hip flexors are naturally going to suffer as well because they are supporters for the hips which also are bent when you sit. The lower back also suffers quite a bit because it supports the entire body and is right in the middle of all muscle groups, which means those muscles get stressed out quickly.

The Muscles At Work in Your Back Pain Dilemma

Now, think about what your abdominal muscles are doing in comparison to the work your lower back when in a seated position. Your back is contracting harder and harder along with those hip flexors and hamstrings, but your abdominals are just chilling out. They might as well be relaxing on the beach with a margarita for the amount of help they give that lower back. This is where the muscular imbalance comes into play. You have back muscles being overworked with muscles in the front not really working much at all.

Everyday Trick to Relieve Back Pain

Stretching is a great start, but this is not where relieving lower back pain from sitting ends. You have to change the way you work and live every single day so that muscle imbalances are less likely to happen. This means you have to get up and move around more often, rather than sitting for hours on end. You can always find something to get up and do for five minutes even if you are working or in a hurry to get things finished at your desk. Any type of exercise that strengthens all the muscles throughout your body will also help as fit, trim muscles are stronger and more effective at supporting the sitting position. Finally, try experimenting with different ways of positioning your legs while you sit so you aren't always in a completely bent position at the knees and hips.

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