Common story here, three bulging discs from an active lifestyle and years of hauling loads up mountains. One of my ortho surgeons says a disc is herniated and needs surgery, a second opinion said nope, just do PT. My chiro agreed with the "no surgery" assessment. Sitting is the worst, have converted to a standing desk at work but now this is torturing my knees and giving me symptoms similar to tendonitis; even with a good mat to stand on. I suppose working 10 hour days standing doesn't help...
So, medicine ball, high chair, inversion table 1 min/hr... there seems to be no shortage of suggestions for how one can take care of their aging back while having to work a desk job. There are a number of informative threads here on MP that have been tremendously helpful in my recovery. But a search doesn't reveal any threads dedicated to the age old question of how the hell to sit or stand everyday in a way that 1) doesn't ruin my back further and 2) doesn't ruin another part of my body integral to active lifestyles.
Would love to hear about what you have experimented with and what works for you, thanks all.
I use a standing desk at work. A colleague has a standing desk with a cushioned mat for standing on, and it makes a huge difference in how comfortable it is for the feet and knees. I haven't researched brands yet, but one is in my future. And using the standing desk has made a huge difference in how I feel at the end of the day.
Tradiban wrote: Good posture and diversify, some standing and some sitting.
This is a huge thing - standing all day can be just as bad for you as sitting all day. I have a sit/stand desk and try to alternate standing/sitting every half hour or so.
Remaining active is important for your spine. This should include a little workout before work and after, although before would be most important. Also will include moving as much as possible at work. I keep excersize bands and every other gimmicky thing you can imagine to try and stay moving. Basically you want to keep the facet joints and all other spine joints mobile and moving as much as possible.
ELDOA method for your spine - hopefully someone in your area is knowledge and can help you with these. Almost completely fixed my cervical spine issues. Plenty of other success stories. There is some stuff on YouTube as well, but eh.
Hydration is crucial to keeping the disks, ligiamrnts, muscles and fascia around the spine hydrated and lubricated.
Convertible sit/stand desks are the bomb diggity. I put in a request with my employer and had one in a couple weeks iirc. I don't have persistent back or knee problems, but the variety keeps me from getting to anxious and going insane at my desk. This thread is a good reminder that I should stand on the pad; I never remember to use it.
I walk away from my desk for a few minutes at least every hour. Sometimes I'll just make tea, other times I'll walk up and down the a bunch of stairs. Really helps to reset.
I too have converted to the standing desk, some time ago, though not for my back. It seems to do wonders for my elbow. I could never find a good combo of chair height/desk height, but a standing desk is perfect.
Or rather, it is not a standing desk— it is a desk that converts from standing to sitting, and I spend about 90% standing, and sitting the rest of it.
My PT says that the most important thing is to take breaks/move around, whatever setup you use. I have my Fitbit buzz at me every hour, and I take couple minutes to walk to the bathroom a few floors up, even though I don’t need a bathroom break, or do couple stretches. Just a 3-5 min break does wonders.
FWIW, I first got the cushioned standing mat when I got the standing desk, but found it to be more annoying than useful. The floor as is seems to be better for me, along with good footwear.
A good mix is the best. I’m lucky that I can either sit all day, stand all day, or do a mix. In reality my job sort of requires a mix. But I find that when I have to sit, I like to use an exercise ball or the foam cubes that my ski boot fitters use on the shop floor. I prefer for my keyboard to be higher, just below my sternum, instead of down at my waist.
My colleagues that have a lot of desk work have adjustable desks so they can go back and forth between sitting and standing. A few of them utilise the exercise balls as well.
Aerili
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Jul 25, 2019
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Los Alamos, NM
· Joined Mar 2007
· Points: 1,875
I have a motorized sit-stand desk so I can alternate up/down, depending on what hurts. Of course I stand with an anti-fatigue mat, and for seated work I use a pricey Sitmatic chair custom fit for me.
I have a few suggestions:
1. Bodybilt makes a special chair for people with low back issues. Unfortunately I can't recall the specific model, so I'll have to ask someone and get back to you on that.
2. You could consider a kneeling stool although generally I'm not a fan. It's easy to tweak your back in other ways if you twist to get something while sitting - your lower body stays fixed while you try to turn your upper body. Bad recipe. Hard to get in/out of these stools as well.
3. I would highly recommend trying the Focal seat options. I've used the Mobis II (with foot stool, sold separately) and I've used the Focal Lotus as well and like it best (although it's not for everyone). There is also a more economical option, the Pivot, which I've tried as well but is personally my least favorite. Again if you went with the Mobis, definitely add the foot stool option as it is more comfortable and secure with the paired set up.
Just remember, don't buy cheap shit (or ask your company to buy cheap shit). You get what you pay for. When it comes to sit-stand chairs, I've demo'd cheaper options. They are significantly less good.
Quality of the chair also seems to matter a lot, at least for me. I can slouch all day in a decent herman millar or steelcase chair and feel great but my back hurts after 15 minutes on cheap generic junk no matter how I sit. FWIW medicine balls are even worse, I don't care for standing, and I've hated the high standing desk chairs I've used.
Thank you all for the encouraging text. First changes I have made so far is to mix my standing and sitting which is certainly helping. Master Gumby's suggestion to get some exercise before work has been really helpful as well - that is a lifestyle change I hope to keep.
Each day a different thing seems to hurt in my back - feels like a combo of nerve pain/sciatica and sometime more like a strained muscle feeling. Very hesitant to start climbing again, but I suppose it has to happen eventually and if I am lucky it might actually help!
If I ever find an ideal desk solution I'll be sure to post it along with my trials and errors.
sit all day at desk but am avid cardio person. IMO consistent, and a lot of times hard, cardio is one of the best things you can do for your body. Which is not to say standing at work is bad. I often will stand up and walk around, but probably not as much as I should.
Buddy, also a desk jokey, actually has a stand up desk, and a hangboard! Lucky basterd.
To the OP, because you are asking in essence about recovery.... as soon as you can man, incorporate movement after/pre work. Whether it be gym pool or bike. Slowly increase but keep consistent cardio/movemnt that you are able to do without pain, etc.
abe r wrote: sit all day at desk but am avid cardio person.
Abe I am so envious of you, how desperately I wish I was someone who enjoyed cardio. That an ab exercises are like the two things I have never learned to love - and now look at the sorry state of my body lol!
@Andy P. I have two bulging disks and have received immense relief incorporating something called "foundation training" into my daily (really every other day for me) routine. Here's a good article about it: bengreenfieldfitness.com/ar…
...but seriously, a reclining/zero-g position might be a good solution for you. I have experimented with using a cheap zero-g chair from Amazon with my adjustable-height desk. It's not quite perfect, though. I plan to work on it more in the future because I also have a computer-based job that is damaging my posture and giving me back pain. I am fortunate to work from home a few days a week, so I can customize my setup easily and change positions during the day.
All my suggestions regarding being at a desk are already covered.
To add to the mobility discussion. Some people hate chiros and some people think they are miracle workers. I’m in the middle. I believe a lot of back problems are cause by soft tissue injuries creating scar tissue and this causes joints to freeze up. A chiro can be super helpful in freeing them up. If a nerve is pinched between two vertebrae it can cause all kinds of weird symptoms. I think if you pay attention to what a chiro does to free up a joint you can often recreate it by yourself. I can do most adjustments except my neck. I free up my T4 joint area 2-4 times a day (by laying back on my fist) or I’d be in constant pain. I also have an issue with my sacral lumbar joint. I can free that up by laying flat on my back, raising my left leg straight up, then rotating my leg over (twisting) to the right towards the floor, while keeping my shoulders flat against the floor. Then I repeat with my right leg. I can feel when a joint is frozen and I can feel and hear when it pops and releases.
I think freeing up frozen joints is about the limit of what a chiro should be involved in. For a herniated disc or anything serious like that you should listen to the orthopedic surgeon. I also don’t give PTs too much stock when making decisions about serious damage. Surgeons have given me better advice about what PT to do than Physical Therapists.
The best ... VERY BEST..review and treatment plan for this problem comes from Kelly Starrett. He's the physical therapist known for athletic rehab. His YouTube is MobilityWOD. He addresses workplace repetitive stress syndromes in his book Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World.
I've used a standing desk for 10 years. Short story is it's not just the desk.. check out Kelley Starrett.
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