Yes, long hours at a desk can lead to back pain from sitting. Often, three things add up: staying in one position for hours, slouching, and too little support for your lower back. The good news is that a better desk setup and regular movement breaks may ease the ache. Below are a desk checklist, easy habits, flare tips and the warning signs that need a doctor. Finally, we explain how Dr. Jenna Patel, D.C. looks for the source when the ache keeps coming back.
Can sitting all day really cause back pain?
It can play a real part. According to NIAMS, part of the National Institutes of Health, a desk job may play a role in back pain. That is especially true if you have poor posture or sit all day in an uncomfortable chair. MedlinePlus adds that people often first feel back pain after they sit in one position for a long time.
Posture matters, too. Good posture keeps the natural curves of your spine, with your head over your shoulders. When you slump toward a screen, you lose that line. According to MedlinePlus, slouching can cause neck, shoulder and back pain and make you less flexible. So the ache may show up in your neck, not only in your lower back.
Other factors add up as well. NIAMS explains that weak back and stomach muscles may not support the spine well. Extra weight also stresses the back. In addition, long stretches of poor sleep, anxiety or depression can make back pain more frequent and more severe.
Desk setup checklist: your chair, screen and keyboard
You do not need an expensive chair to sit well. Most of these changes cost little or nothing. They come from the MedlinePlus guide to good posture and MedlinePlus advice on preventing low back pain:
- Back support: Sit all the way back so the chair supports the curve of your lower back. If it does not, add a small pillow or a rolled towel.
- Seat: Choose a padded seat that supports your hips and thighs, with your thighs about parallel to the floor.
- Feet: Keep both feet on the floor, with your ankles in front of your knees. If they do not reach, use a footrest. Try not to cross your legs.
- Shoulders: Relax them, without rounding them forward or pulling them back.
- Elbows: Keep them close to your body, bent between 90 and 120 degrees.
- Screen: Raise it so you look straight ahead. Cleveland Clinic suggests bringing screens closer to eye level so you do not tilt your chin down.
- Laptop: Working on one all day keeps you looking down, much like the woman in the photo above. A stand plus a separate keyboard and mouse lets you follow the screen and elbow tips together.
- New chair: If you are shopping, MedlinePlus suggests a straight back, an adjustable seat and back, armrests and a swivel seat.
How often should you get up from your desk?
Even a good setup gets uncomfortable if you hold it for hours. MedlinePlus advises frequent breaks. Cleveland Clinic notes that staying in any one position for more than 20 minutes can bring aches. For long drives, MedlinePlus suggests stopping to walk around every hour. At your desk, a fair rule of thumb is to shift position often and get up at least once an hour.
Small habits make this easier on a busy workday:
- Set a timer or calendar reminder to change position and stand up.
- Take phone calls standing, or walk while you talk.
- Walk for part of your lunch break.
- Stretch gently every so often to help relieve muscle tension. Stop any stretch that causes sharp pain or pain down a leg.
- Commuting by car? Bring your seat forward so you do not lean, and tuck a rolled towel behind your lower back.
Regular exercise helps, too. MedlinePlus notes that any kind of exercise may help your posture. Yoga and tai chi can be especially helpful. Core exercises for the muscles around your back, belly and pelvis are a good idea, too.
Is a standing desk better than sitting?
A sit-stand desk may help, mainly because it makes changing position easy. However, standing all day has its own strain. MedlinePlus advises against standing for long periods. If you must stand for work, it suggests resting one foot at a time on a stool. So a standing desk does not solve back pain from sitting on its own. The goal is variety: sit for a while, stand for a while and walk in between.
What to do when back pain from sitting flares up
MedlinePlus says most people with back pain improve within 4 to 6 weeks, often much sooner. Meanwhile, these steps may help:
- Ease off for the first couple of days, then slowly return to your usual activities. Avoid bed rest, because staying active helps keep your back and belly muscles from getting weak.
- Use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, then switch to heat.
- Skip heavy lifting and twisting for the first 6 weeks after the pain began.
- After 2 to 3 weeks, ease back into light exercise, such as walking, a stationary bike or swimming.
- At night, try lying curled on your side with a pillow between your legs. Back sleepers can put a pillow under their knees.
At work, take your movement breaks even more often while it hurts, rather than sitting through the pain.
Could pain while sitting be something else?
Not every ache in a desk chair comes from posture. Depending on the cause, NIAMS notes that back pain can get worse when you sit, stand or rest. Other causes include:
- Pain around the back of your pelvis may come from the sacroiliac joint. See our guide to SI joint pain.
- Pain that shoots into the buttock or down a leg can point to an irritated nerve, sometimes from a disc. Read bulging versus herniated disc to learn what those MRI terms mean.
- Spinal discs wear down with age, and most adults over 40 show some disc wear on imaging. Our post on degenerative disc disease explains what that label means.
- Problems outside the spine, such as kidney stones or a kidney infection, can also cause back pain.
Hurt your back lifting or straining at work? See our workplace injury treatment page for what to do first.
When to see a doctor or go to the ER
Most back pain from sitting is not an emergency. Still, some signs need a medical doctor first, not a new chair or a chiropractor. Go to the ER right away if you have:
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Numbness in the groin, buttocks or inner thighs
These can be signs of cauda equina syndrome, a nerve emergency. Call a medical doctor right away if you have:
- Weakness in a leg
- Fever along with back pain
- A history of cancer
- Pain that started after a fall
- Night pain that wakes you up
- Pain that travels down a leg below the knee
Also check in with a doctor if you are losing weight without trying, or if this episode has lasted longer than 4 weeks. This post is for education only. It is not a diagnosis.
How we approach it at HealthSource of Roseland
Many people in our area work in the offices along Eisenhower Parkway and sit at desks all day. Our Roseland office is right there, at 12 Eisenhower Parkway. If back pain from sitting keeps coming back, Dr. Patel starts with an evaluation, not an adjustment. Your first visit includes a health history questionnaire, a consultation and a physical exam of your posture, mobility and pain. We take X-rays only if clinically needed. Then Dr. Patel explains a report of findings and a personalized care plan before any care starts.
Dr. Patel has extra training in movement analysis, so she watches closely how you sit, stand and bend. She looks for the source of the problem, not only the symptoms. Your plan may include hands-on adjustments, soft tissue work and Progressive Rehab® and functional exercise, plus advice on your own desk setup. Our back pain relief page explains more.
What does the research say? According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, spinal manipulation may bring modest relief for recent low back pain. For long-lasting pain, it looks about as helpful as other recommended care, such as exercise. So we pair hands-on care with exercise and better daily habits.
If sitting at work leaves your back in pain day after day, you do not have to keep guessing. Book a visit online or call (973) 200-2424. Ask about our new-patient visit: consultation, exam and X-rays if clinically needed. The offer is for new patients only. It does not apply to Medicare, Medicaid, other federal healthcare program patients or ACN members.
