Lower Back Pain When Sitting Down And Getting Up

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After a long day on your feet, sitting down should be a way to relax. But for many, prolonged sitting is painful. Instead of relieving back pain, it aggravates it.

Lower Back Pain When Sitting Down And Getting Up

Although the specific cause of back pain is often undiagnosed, muscle cramps are probably the most common cause. Although there is no evidence from medical studies that sitting causes more cramps, people often complain of back muscle tension and pain when sitting for long periods of time.

Back Pain Coping: Daily Strategies For Relief

A common example is a long car journey. Sometimes people attribute the pain to shaking and jumping on the road, but often it’s just the stress of sitting that’s causing the problem.

Doctor Says: If you suffer from back pain while sitting, this problem can be one of several common ailments. Steven J. Atlas, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

A herniated disc is a problem with the disc that acts as a cushion between the vertebrae in your back. Specifically, a herniated disc can occur, meaning a bulge develops that can pinch nearby spinal nerves and cause pain.

“There are studies that have measured intervertebral disc pressure,” said Dr. Atlas map. Not surprisingly, pressure is lower when lying down, but intervertebral disc pressure is higher when sitting than when standing.

What Should You Sit On For Lower Back Pain?

“When I go into the exam room and the patient is not sitting, but standing, my suspicion of a herniated disc increases,” he says.

A disc problem alone can cause back pain, but if the pain radiates down the leg, it could be nerve pain called sciatica. Sciatica sometimes occurs when a herniated disc pinches one of your sciatic nerves. They are the longest nerves in your body, running from your lower back to each leg.

People with sciatica usually report burning pain that affects the lower back, legs, and sometimes the legs.

Older women have a common ailment that can be solved by sitting down. This is a back condition called spinal stenosis.

How To Talk To Your Doctor About Your Back Pain

In cases where arthritis pain is severe enough to compress nerves in the hips and legs, it is often found that the pain is better when sitting than standing. “That’s because when you sit, you lean your lower back slightly forward, and that can stretch the arthritic bones enough to temporarily relieve the pain,” says the doctor. Atlas map. Pain may be relieved when you bend forward while using a cart or walker.

In most cases, you will be able to manage back pain on your own. The doctor says to change your activity and work slowly to regain your function. Steven J. Atlas, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

However, if the pain does not improve after a few weeks of changing activities, you should see a doctor. (Sciatica symptoms from a herniated disc can take four to six weeks to improve.)

If your pain is severe, if your pain gets better but occurs after an injury—such as a fall down the stairs, a car accident, or slipping on an ice pack—you should see a doctor right away. This is different from back pain that occurs with regular movement, the doctor said. Atlas map. In other words, if your back hurts when you bend over to tie your shoelaces, it’s not an injury.

Lower Back Pain When Standing Up From Sitting Position

If you have back pain while sitting, your motivation may be to lie down and then try to slowly return to a sitting position, the doctor says. Atlas map. But this is a wrong approach. You should lie down to relieve the pain, but the goal should not be to return to a sitting position, but to be able to stand and move again.

“The goal is not to sit in a chair. The goal is to move. Walking is better than sitting. Exercise is often the best medicine for pain relief.

If you can’t manage your back pain on your own and decide to see a doctor, they’ll likely recommend treatments you can do at home.

“There has been a shift away from medical interventions for back pain and an increased focus on non-pharmacological treatments,” says Dr. Atlas map. There is also a growing recognition that even drugs like acetaminophen pose risks, especially in the elderly.

Exercises To Solve Lower Back Pain Once And For All

A typical course of treatment begins with activity modification and then progresses to exercise. For patients with severe symptoms, the first line of treatment may be manual therapy such as massage, chiropractic or physical therapy, Dr. Atlas map.

Exercise is the best prevention of back pain. Regular physical activity can strengthen your back and reduce future pain episodes. Exercises should focus on increasing strength and improving range of motion – as well as ensuring balance on both sides of the body, as back pain occurs when one side of the body is stronger than the other.

Additionally, avoid prolonged sitting if possible. If you sit at a desk in the office all day, get up and walk around regularly – at least every 30 minutes. Walk to get some water or get your mail. Rest during the day to avoid further attacks of pain.

Some simple exercises (under doctor’s approval) can help prevent back pain. These exercises not only increase strength, but also flexibility. You can find more tips and exercises for your back in Harvard’s special report

Pain In My Back: 4 Things You’re Doing Wrong Everyday

Lie on your back and bend your knees. Pull one knee toward your chest and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to starting position. Repeat with the other leg. Repeat this 5 to 10 times with each leg.

Lie on your back bend both knees and place your feet on the floor. Pull both knees toward the chest and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to starting position. Do this 5 to 10 times.

Lie on your back bend both knees and place your feet on the floor. Gently press your lower back into the floor and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Then rest. Do this 5 to 10 times.

Lie face down on the floor, your bed, or an exercise mat. Bend your upper body upwards and put weight on your arms. Gently arch your back and hold for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Lower Back Pain

Start on your hands and knees. Lift and straighten one leg and slowly pull it back without raising it higher than your body height. Hold the position for 5 seconds. Repeat this 5 to 10 times with each leg.

Lie on your back bend both knees and place your feet on the floor. Slowly raise your hips 4 to 6 inches off the floor, hold for 5 seconds, and then return to the starting position. Do this 5 to 10 times.

Doctor. Howard Levine is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, medical editor of Harvard Press, and editor of Harvard Men’s Watch. See full bio

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Mind Over Back Pain

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What Is The Best Sitting Position For Sciatica

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