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Worldwide, back pain is one of the most common complaints and illnesses in the workplace. Back pain in the lower back area, i.e., in the region of the lumbar vertebrae, is very common. Such complaints are often made by people who have a sedentary job.
An ergonomic office chair is therefore an important preventive measure and a good investment in a healthy posture of the spine to prevent back ailments. Certain office chairs offer a special support in the lumbar region or you can get this as an additional option.
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Ergonomic sitting posture
But does an ergonomic office chair with lumbar support actually have benefits for preventing back pain, or is it more of an extra with little effect on correct ergonomics and back health?
To answer this question well, we should first understand what an ergonomic sitting posture is.
Ergonomics of the back – human spine
A healthy spine (columna vertebralis), viewed from the side, has the shape of a double S. This natural curvature of the spine primarily acts to cushion shocks in order to protect sensitive parts such as the brain when moving. If this cushioning were not guaranteed, our brain would receive strong impacts even during normal walking.
The spine can be divided into five different sections: at the very top the cervical spine, below that the thoracic spine, then the lumbar spine, and finally at the lower end the sacrum and coccyx.
In addition to the ideal shape of the spine, the individual intervertebral discs (discus intervertebralis) also help to cushion the weight and provide elasticity and mobility. The discs consist of an outer fibrous ring and an inner gelatinous core, which consists of approx. 80-85% water, acting like a deformable water cushion.
Thus, the spine together with the intervertebral discs offers an optimal posture for the back.
When sitting, however, in most cases an incorrect shape is created for our back. This is partly due to the flat seat surface, which causes the sacrum and coccyx to fall into a curve. To avoid this, there should be a slight, wedge-shaped elevation at the rear end of the seat surface to ensure an ergonomic sitting posture.
However, what is even more often missing in most chairs is a good lumbar support, also called lordosis support. This is the area of the lumbar spine, in the lower back. Since many office chairs lack this lumbar support, the spine loses its S-shaped curvature in the lumbar region, and this creates additional pressure on the intervertebral discs in addition to the incorrect sitting posture. In addition, many people sit in the front area or even just on the front edge of their office chair, which quickly leads to an unhealthy hunched back posture. This eliminates the lumbar support, and the cervical vertebrae also get an incorrect curvature.
The absence of a lumbar support is one of the main reasons why many people get a herniated disc in the lower back, especially at the L4 and L5 vertebrae.
Lumbar support ensures correct ergonomics
For good back ergonomics, a pronounced lumbar or lordosis support is a must for every chair. In the case of an ergonomic office chair, one can only speak of sufficient lumbar support if there is an outward curvature (towards the back) in the cushion in the lower quarter of the backrest.
This curvature must be present not only on the side but also in the middle of the back cushion, thereby bringing the spine back into its natural S-shape and supporting it accordingly. As mentioned, this is unfortunately not the case with many office chairs. Therefore, special care should be taken to ensure that this support is effectively present for correct ergonomics when sitting.
As a rule, ergonomic office chairs offer an adjustment option for the backrest. This means that, if the curvature is present in the cushion, the lumbar support in the back cushion can also be adjusted in height.
Higher-quality office chairs usually also offer an additional, adjustable lumbar support as an option. This can be either a mechanical or pneumatic addition in the back cushion, which allows the curvature in the cushion to be adjusted individually.
The mechanical addition is built into the back cushion in such a way that you can use a rotary knob to apply more or less pressure, i.e., curve the bulge more or less.
With the pneumatic addition, this is done via an air pump, whereby more or less air is pumped into the lumbar region. The only disadvantage of this version is that the air can escape over time and therefore has to be pumped up again from time to time.
The general advantage of an ergonomic office chair with individual lumbar support is that exactly the desired curvature in the lower back can be set. Since every person is known to be unique, it feels different for each person to get the optimal ergonomics of the back with such an adjustable lumbar support.
Concluding thoughts
To prevent back ailments when sitting and to effectively adopt an ergonomic sitting posture when working at a desk, a good lumbar support is a basic requirement. Unfortunately, in practice, the majority of office chairs still often have insufficient or completely missing lumbar support. It is therefore recommended to test sit any new office chair before buying it and feel with your own back whether the support in the lower back is really sufficient. Always keep in mind the natural S-shape that a spine should assume, even in a sitting position.
If you already own an office chair that has an insufficient ergonomic shape in the back cushion, extra additions can also be purchased, which can be attached to the back cushion later. These are usually smaller foam cushions with an anatomical shape that can be attached to the backrest of the office chair.
Ideal for an optimal ergonomic sitting posture would, of course, be an office chair that already has all of this and was specifically designed to prevent back ailments. The benefits of a lumbar support are enormous not only for the back, but for a person's entire well-being, as the spine can be brought into the correct ergonomic shape. This can also prevent many other classic office ailments such as headaches, shoulder tension, neck problems, or especially herniated discs.
If you like the topic of ergonomics in the office or home office and are interested in learning more, my book „Wellness im Büro“ can provide you with further tips and tricks. Combined with humorous drawings, I share 50+1 tips there to turn your office into a little paradise.
50+1 tips that turn the office into a little paradise
