If you work from home, can choose your own office furniture at work, or just need a well-designed chair as you use your computer for leisurely purposes, an ergonomic chair is a solution to ease the stress sitting takes on your body. At Premier Chiropractic Center, serving Bessemer, AL, and the nearby region, our practitioner sees patients regularly who have neck and back problems from sitting at a computer all day and from this experience has some insight to help ease that stress on your body.
What’s an Ergonomic Chair?
By definition, an ergonomic chair is one designed with comfort and support in mind. The concept incorporates efficiency and gives people options to customize various features to make the chair adapt to their particular needs.
In terms of chiropractic care, we tout them as a way to ease lumbar and other discomforts. It’s a chair for anyone who wants to reduce their back pain and other discomforts when sitting for prolonged periods. While it’s beneficial to those who are heavier, anyone can benefit from having a supportive chair they can alter the settings on to optimize it for their particular needs.
When we’re providing lifestyle advice to our patients who have office jobs or who enjoy video games and other activities that require them to sit in a chair for prolonged periods, we always stress the importance of an ergonomic chair. If you can afford an ergonomic chair, we absolutely recommend getting one. It’s worth the extra money compared to standard options.
How to Choose an Ergonomic Chair?
As a Bessemer, AL, chiropractic office, our main focus is spinal and back health. For this reason, we had to note the backrest before any other features of an ergonomic chair. Ideally, you want a chair with a natural curve in the back to support the curvature of your spine. Search for one that has a backrest you may adjust the angle on if it has a backrest and seat together. Find one with a backrest between 12 to 19 inches wide. You may want to go larger depending on your size. However, for the average, this is standard.
This goes along with the first tip. Opt for a chair with an adjustable height. That way, you can choose a height that works with your height for optimal posture because you should sit with your feet on the floor and thighs horizontally. Unless you’re taller than average, between 16 and 21 inches is sufficient for the average person.
Choose a chair with a material that’s breathable. This isn’t necessarily a chiropractic tip for choosing a chair as much as a general one you’ll thank us for later. Select a chair that has an adequate amount of padding, particularly if you’re using your chair for extended periods.
Look for chairs with adjustable armrests only. These allow you to sit with your arms and shoulders resting comfortably. If you opt for a chair without adjustable armrests, you could find yourself sitting with your shoulders raised a bit, which throws off your spinal alignment and stresses your shoulders and upper back.
During your search for a new office chair, choose a swivel one. And not because you can spin when nobody’s looking! This feature allows you to turn your chair to reach whatever you need to in your desk area. You then won’t strain your body trying to get to the printer or reach for the stapler.
Don’t for a second think all computer chairs are alike. This can be a huge mistake, especially if you’re a back pain sufferer. Take the time to look for a chair with a few features designed for the contours of a real body. And don’t forget to come in for chiropractic care regularly! That’s also vital to lessening or warding off back pain.
Book an appointment at our Bessemer, AL, chiropractic office today by calling 205-519-4024. You may also schedule a visit with Premier Chiropractic Center by using our online form.
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