Sitting straight 'bad for backs' | Hacker News Reader

Sitting straight 'bad for backs'

news.bbc.co.uk

39 pointsALee17 comments

I've always suspected that traditional ergonomic advice is basically pseudoscience. My favorite thing is those ergonomic brochures using cartoon people with completely unrealistic proportions. Why don't they use actual pictures instead for clarity?

More importantly, where are the references to peer-reviewed ergonomic research showing that so-called "correct" posture actually improves outcomes? Where did all this advice come from in the first place? Somebody's mother?

While interesting, please note that this article is from November 2006. There is also criticism [2]. I tried to find the actual paper but besides a presentation [3] I couldn't find it. Some papers where W. Bashir is not the lead author [4].

Interesting thought though, what about the neck in a 135 degree posture?

[1] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061127112844.ht... [2] http://www.posturepress.com/Posture-Research-3.php [3] http://www.rsna.org/rsna/media/pr2006-2/aching_back-2.cfm [4] http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=Waseem+Bashir&...

"Data from the British Chiropractic Association..."

I'd trust data from the Tooth Fairy Association as much if not more.

To be fair, the Tooth Fairies only provided the quote about how much people sit around. The actual data seems to be from a study by "Dr Waseem Bashir of the Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Alberta Hospital", so presumably can be trusted.

This the same BCA who sued a science journalist for pointing out that their claims didn't seem to have scientific proof. More at the excellent badscience blog:

http://www.badscience.net/2010/04/british-chiropractic-assoc...

I just knew my chair-leaning-back stance was good for you. Ha. It always seemed pretty obvious that there was much less weight on the spine itself, so it should be better.

Seems like the benefit to the lower back might be counterbalanced by being worse for the neck and shoulders. (Disclaimer: I am not any sort of doctor or physiologist.)

I'd concur with that. Personal annecdotal evidence from working at a job that have bendy chairs often leaves me with a crick in my neck.

If you sit like the far right picture you're going to get a forward leaning neck in any case.

Further point: do these people have bad backs because they don't do any abdominal work? I've done pilates for a year and that seems to have helped a fair bit - better inner muscles and hence better posture.

So, what about those stokke kneeling chairs (http://www.amazon.com/Varier-Variable-Balans-Kneeling-Natura...)?

Probably not very good for you.

Here's a thought experiment -- hold your arm straight out for 8 hours.

Does it hurt?

Yeah. So why would it be a good idea to keep your back unsupported all day?

Sitting in one of these (goofy, overpriced) chairs does not involve tensing any muscles other than those used for balance, which don't really get tired, so that's probably the worst analogy on the internet today. These chairs are meant to rest your legs, not your back. Your back doesn't need to be supported all day. It is the support. There are people who stand for 8 or more hours a day, you know. And they're healthier for it.

I forgot to mention that I've used a cheap knockoff (and even goofier) model of these chairs for a couple of years. And it was quite comfortable indeed.

I dunno. They're really comfortable. I haven't sat on them for more than about 2 hours in one go, but my experience with them has been good so far.

One thing though, the one I've used isn't a rocking chair; it has wheels instead. The rocking may make a difference.

Change position. Reading this I noticed I was sitting in the 'good' position, but through the day I also lean a bit forward, all the way, to the side. I'd love an automatic desk that let me stand part of the time.

If you do like to sit straight, look for an older traditional 'secretary' chair with the pad that pushes the mid-back forward to keep the natural curve. Backs are NOT straight, there is a slight but vital curve that many chairs ruin.

What about our necks? Seems to me as if slouching that much for long periods would pinch the neck.

My doctor recently insisted that I take breaks once an hour, and I think that is the most important thing. He said that alone would give your back much needed rest from the strain of sitting in any one position for too long.

If your monitor's on your desk, perhaps, but the solution is to not put it on your desk. You can get a finger-touch adjustable monitor stand that lets you position the monitor at any angle. And you can do the same for a keyboard.

I think desks are like diamond-frame bicycles, easy to build and very nice looking, but not a great fit for our bodies.

I'm going to try and setup something like this around my IKEA Poang chair, and see how it goes. I'm lucky in that I don't need a mouse, so it should be easy to get the monitor and keyboard into a comfortable position :)

Too bad the printable version omitted the diagram.

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