The Best Ergonomic Office Chairs To Relieve Back Pain
A Chiropractor's Recommendations & Product Review
As a chiropractic physician my recommendations are made based on a variety of factors including spinal biomechanics, research evidence and practical considerations such as ease of advice implementation and cost particular products. I would like to disclose that, although I may get a referral fee from some of the items advertised or reviewed, this will never impact the integrity of my reviews or recommendations. I hope you find my recommendations useful; however, if you have a specific spinal problem or condition, and have not yet done so, it is recommended that you contact your qualified health care provider for recommendations that may apply to your particular case.
Peter C. Spathis, DC
Top 5 Ergonomic Office Chairs To Relieve Back Pain
Back pain after prolonged sitting has become almost ubiquitous. The nature of the sitting position places more stress on certain spinal structures - such as discs - compared to postures where the spine is in a more "neutral" position, such as standing. The good news is that by properly supporting the spine, a good office chair can help reduce stress to spinal structures and minimize associated back pain. Combined with an adjustable height desk that allows transitioning between sitting and standing positions, this can go a long way towards relieving back pain and preventing longer term spinal problems. As important as a good office chair is for back pain relief and prevention, choosing one doesn't have to be all that complicated. With just a few ergonomic considerations in mind, you can choose the best office chair and work toward making that back pain a distant memory.
As already suggested, we want to support the natural lumbar curvature ("lordosis") as well as allowing the rest of the spine to maintain a neutral spinal position while sitting. This means that, for chairs that go to the top of the spine, or even above the back of the head, we do not want so much padding near the top that the head is forced forward. Sitting comfortably in a chair should allow the body to maintain a natural upright position. If the chair is able to tilt backwards, comfort should be maintained without feeling like any part of the spine is being "pushed" into an awkward position. A chair that swivels is also usually a better choice for most office settings. This allows you to avoid twisting your body or neck to work on different parts on your desk or look at different monitors, you can simply swivel your chair and keep your spine in a neutral position. Occasionally being able to tilt back with your spine supported is also a nice feature to decrease loading pressure on the spine a few times throughout the day. This decreases spinal disc stress in addition to allowing muscles to relax and further reduce stress on spinal structures - an important component in preventing both back and neck pain from starting in the first place. Finally, a chair with armrests is usually preferred to allow the arms to stay supported instead of their weight being fully supported by your musculoskeletal system. This is particularly important for those with neck and upper back pain but even the lower back is affected thereby potentially contributing to pain in any part of the spine.
From this discussion we can now see that our ergonomic office chair should ideally be a full-back chair that supports the entire spine without pushing the head forward, has adequate lumbar support, is able to swivel, tilts back and has armrests. Having enough padding to keep it comfortable and reduce pressure points while being firm enough to provide the necessary spinal support is also important for overall comfort. To maximize value, construction quality and price are two more factors we can't ignore. With these considerations in mind, the following chairs are reviewed and recommended for their ergonomic and overall value with an emphasis on minimizing back pain and other spinal problems associated with prolonged sitting.
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Although a little more expensive than the other options on this page, this chair is still very reasonably priced for the quality and features it provides and the one I would recommend for almost any type of prolonged sitting - office work, gaming or just relaxing. Unfortunately, the title description is a little confusing - it is listed as "Ergonomic Office Chair Big and Tall 300LB-2504LB Capacity..." - suggesting that this is specifically for big and tall people. However, this can actually accomodate most body types and is recommended for use for those between 5'0" and 6'3" in height (although it lists of "max value" up to 6'8") and 100 to 300 lbs in body weight. As a chiropractor, my favorite feature or this chair is the spinal support it provides through its proper ergonomic design and adjustability. Click on the link provided for detailed information on the specifics of this chair and I believe you will find it worth considering.
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This versatile ergonomic swivel chair allows you to tilt back as well as flip the armrests up and out of the way if needed for certain applications. At a very reasonable price for its features and quality, it is appropriate for most types of office and computer work or personal use. It is a high back chair that provides full spine support with a nice amount of padding to keep it comfortable yet supportive enough to make it a good ergonomic choice. Although I would normally advise that the armrests remain in use for office settings, allowing the option to tilt them up for specific cases, such as if one is sitting on this chair to play a guitar, can be useful. Overall, I believe this chair is a good choice for most of the general population and another one worth considering.
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This specialty item for big and tall individuals has the ergonomic features one would expect of a high quality office chair along with a 400 lb weight capacity. If you have the space for this larger office chair and have found other chairs too small for your frame and weight, you will probably be very happy with this purchase. Along with its heavy duty construction and ergonomic features, the outstanding customer review profile makes this my top office chair recommendation for larger people with the space capacity for this product.
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Like the first ergonomic chair on this page, a strong point of this chair is the variety of adjustment options it provides and may be a good choice for someone looking for a less expensive option. Although not quite the quality or adjustability of the first (more expensive) chair - a combined thoracic and lumbar section does not allow the same degree of nuanced customization for ideal comfort and support for example - this is still a great ergonomic chair that can provide the support most people need. The mesh surface on the back of this chair also allows longer periods of sitting with less sweating and is another feature that some will find useful. This product has outstanding customer satifaction ratings and, considering its features, I believe it is one of the best options in this product catagory with regard to value for the money.
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This chair has above average reviews and, for the price, is worth considering for someone interested in a "gaming chair". It provides adequate spinal support for most people of varying heights and body weights. However, the limited adjustment options are a negative. For example, you can adjust the seat height and back rest but not the arm rest position. This may not be an issue for some gamers who do not use the arm rests at all but is something that should be considered. This chair allows the back rest to tilt back while the seat stays in the neutral position. Although some gamers will enjoy this feature, it can be problematic for some with certain spinal problems and should be discussed with your qualified health care provider if you choose to purchase this chair or another one with a similar feature.
A Mid-Back Height Office Chair That Deserves an Honorable Mention
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From an ergonomic perspective, I prefer chairs that support the entire spine instead of going only to the mid-back region like this one. However, there are some cases in which these chairs are an acceptable choice and even preferred by some office workers over a bulkier full sized office chair. These cases may include jobs requiring frequent standing or having space constraints with regard to chair size. This chair provides nice lumbar support for most people and has a mesh back for airflow to minimize sweating. Although it also allows a person to tilt back, I do not believe people benefit from this feature on mid-back chairs due to the lack of neck support required to maintain a relaxed neutral cervical spine position while tilted back. This chair may be a little too small for larger people and does not have a tremendous amount of adjustment options. However, considering the price, most small to medium sized people looking for this type of chair will likely find it to be a great value.
