“Sitting May Be the New Smoking”
As the phrase above says, sitting May in fact be the new smoking. Sitting for extended periods of time (think about our modern work day…) may cause one to feel lots of pain and discomfort over time. Think about the last time you flew on a commercial airline or drove a few hours to visit family and friends. You most likely stood up feeling quite stiff and uncomfortable. The ironic thing is we’re experiencing that same type of wear and tear on our body when we work a 40-hour workweek within our offices while sitting in our office chairs. Over the long run, it’s not ideal to subject our bodies to this week after week, month after month, and year after year. Read on to learn more about the potential pitfalls of sitting too much and why you should try to stay as active as possible when you’re not sitting to help prevent pain, discomfort, and injury.
Sitting Just Doesn’t Feel Right After a While…
We all know this. When you’re sitting for way too long, your body has a way of letting you know you need to stand up and move around. Whether it’s you legs going slightly tingly due to falling asleep or your lower back pain increasing; it’s your body asking you to kindly stand up, walk around, stretch, and give the sitting a break for a little bit. Sitting is best in moderation, just like everything else.
Sitting May Cause Lack of Blood Flow
Sitting over an extended period of time does not allow adequate blood flow over said duration. Due to the stance often associated with a sitting position, your legs are somewhat compressed and your back and neck may be slightly hunched due to cranking over a keyboard and computer screen. Sitting creates hotspots of inactivity throughout the body and this can lead to a lack of circulation and blood flow over time.
Sitting May Disturb Your Sciatic Nerve
Your sciatic nerve is particularly prone to being disrupted by chronic sitting. The way the sciatic nerve is positioned along the thighs and lower back allows it to be easily affected by extended periods of sitting. It’s important to listen to your body and if you’re noticing sciatic nerve pain when sitting for a certain amount of time, you’ll want to contact us or your doctor as soon as possible to be seen and have the issue addressed.
Choose Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants for Your Back Pain
If you’re experiencing new pain or consistent, chronic pain from sitting for extended periods of time; you’ll want to contact us here at Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants to learn more about how we can help. We’ll be sure to have our excellent specialists treat your condition with our amazing expertise and knowledge. We look forward to hearing from you soon and we’re eager to begin addressing your pain and help you on the path to healing and wellness.
DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.