Long hours sitting incorrectly can lead to major back problems
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We are usually told that slouching at our desks will give us bad posture, but the latest news suggests that sitting upright will do us more harm than good.
Researchers at the Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen tested 22 volunteers with healthy backs using a positional MRI machine which takes readings from patients in various different positions.
They were scanned sitting in three different ways: hunched over, upright at a 90-degree angle, and leaning back in a relaxed pose.
Results revealed that strain-induced spinal disk movement was most pronounced when volunteers were sitting up ‘straight’.
Interestingly, the least disk movement occurred when patients were slouched at a 135-degree position, suggesting that this position is actually the best for our backs.
Dr Waseem Bashir of the Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Alberta Hospital, who led the study, says the way we sit can drastically affect the health of our backs.
‘Sitting in a sound anatomic position is essential, since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity and chronic illness,’ he explains.
The research is particularly pertinent for people in the UK who are spending lengthy periods of time sedentary in the office.
According to data provided by the British Chiropractic Association, 32% of the population are seated for more than 10 hours a day, with half of us not even leaving our desks to have lunch.
Jessica Whiteley
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