What is the best sitting position for the spinal cord?
Although everyone has a different “best” sitting posture, there are clearly guidelines controlling good spinal health. For people with past injuries or present spinal problems especially important.
Broken out here are the main elements of a perfect sitting posture:
The spine’s neutral alignment is:
Your ankle, hip, shoulder, and earlobe show a straight line. Here one finds a straight spine.
Steers clear of hunches, slouching, and overly strong back arching. These stretches tax spinal ligaments and discs.
Angles: For hip and knee joints
Aim to bend ninety degrees at both your knees and hips. By balancing your weight over your thighs and buttocks, this eases strain in your lower back.
Your hamstrings will tense and your spine will compress if you sit with your knees higher than your hips.
In foot and ankle stance:
Ground yourself straight forwardly on a floor or footrest. This keeps hips and knees in proper position.
Take care not to spend too much time dangling feet or cross your ankles.
assisting the lumbar:
A well made chair with lumbar support will help your lower back stay naturally curved. On chairs without built-in support, one can add lumbar cushions.
Altitude and Depth of Chair:
The chair height should let your feet rest flat on the floor while knees should be at a 90-degree bend.
The seat depth should be sufficient to suitably support your thighs with a little gap between the rear of your knees and the chair seat.
Arm and Upper Body Positions:
Maintaining a neutral spine, target your upper back and neck. Steer away from forward neck cransing and hunches of your shoulders.
Working at a desk, keep your elbows bent at about 90 degrees and your forearms parallel to the floor.
Moreover Recommendation:
Get frequent breaks from sitting. Get up every twenty to thirty minutes and move about to boost circulation and prevent stiffness.
Stretch often all during the day to maintain flexibility in your back and core muscles.
Get an ergonomic chair that will meet your specific need.
Consider a standing desk or a sit-stand desk converter so you may alternate sit-stand over the workday.
Factors Affecting Those With Spinal Cord Injuries
Those with spinal cord injuries especially need to keep excellent sitting posture to help prevent issues such pressure sores and pain. Among these are few more elements:
Specific cushions reduce strain on sensitive areas and help to more consistently distribute weight.
A slight forward pelvic tilt helps to improve spinal alignment and lessen sacral pain. See a physical therapist for appropriate direction on assuming this position.
A physical or occupational therapist can assist you determine the best wheelchair configuration including seat height, depth, angle, and back and headrest support thereby promoting good posture and pressure release.
See a physical therapist or other healthcare professional to better determine the ideal seated posture for your specific needs and any past problems.
They can assess your posture, provide recommendations on appropriate ergonomic tools, and specifically provide direction on maintaining spinal integrity when seated.
Following these rules and visiting a healthcare professional will allow you to keep healthy spine condition and prevent discomfort or pain while seated.