If you do not have lumbar support on your office or gaming chair, it’s time to make a change. Lumbar support is so vital to your comfort and bodily health.
This article will discuss the importance of effective lumbar support. We also have some advice on how to position your lumbar support ideally so you can feel comfortable and content.
What Is Lumbar?
Your lumbar region is the part of your lower back that curves inward. Your lumbar region is made of five vertebrae that form the lower curve of your spine. When in a neutral and natural spine position, your vertebra should form an ‘S’ shape, and the lumbar vertebrae shape the bottom tail of the ‘S’.
How To Position Lumbar Support
To properly position your lumbar support, whether it’s a pillow or chair feature, you’ll need to determine where the natural curve of your spine is.
Sit in your chair and raise your arms above your head in a stretch. And then slowly brings your arms down toward your keyboard so they rest where you would comfortably type.
When sitting comfortably with good posture, there will be an indent in your back between your sacrum and thoracic region of the spine, which makes up your chest region. This natural curve is precisely where your lumbar support pillow should go, or where you should adjust your chair back to focus on.
When you correctly adjust the lumbar support or place your pillow, your spine just above your hips should be slightly pushed forward, but not so much that you feel uncomfortable. It should feel like a natural stretch that provides some back relief. If it doesn’t feel good, you likely need to readjust your lumbar support.
The Importance of Lumbar Support
Lumbar support is incredibly important in maintaining spinal health and decent posture. If you don’t provide your lower back with effective lumbar support, this can lead to health problems that can be permanent.
Consequences of Bad Lumbar Support
There are more consequences to not having proper lumbar support than just a sore back. Not having lumbar support can lead to more problems that may be permanent or very painful.
Spine Curvature
If your spine is not positioned in the proper ‘S’ shape, then your vertebrae will compress awkwardly and can lead to permanent spinal curvature. This curvature will have a long-lasting negative effect on your posture and spine health. Spine curvature often causes back discomfort and sometimes chronic pain, and it is nearly impossible to remedy. Preventing spine curvature is the best way to support your back health.
Tension Headaches
If your spine compresses when you sit in your chair, this will harm more than just your lumbar region. If your lumbar vertebrae are strained, this tension will travel through your whole spine and cause pain in your neck. If this happens consistently, it can lead to headaches and migraines, causing you a lot of distress and discomfort.
Insomnia
Insomnia and poor sleep can be a direct result of lumbar pain or a symptom of one of the other issues. If you experience back pain or tension headaches due to a lack of lumbar support, you may experience insomnia because you can’t comfortably sleep. Your body needs sleep to maintain its immunity and general well-being, so you’ll feel much worse if you can’t sleep in addition to back distress.
Poor Digestion
When you sit with poor posture and neglect your lumbar region, you compress your organs and inhibit your digestive tract from functioning. When you sit in the neutral spine position, your digestive tract has space to perform its functions and pass substances. Poor posture and no lumbar support can lead to stomach cramps, abdominal discomfort, or constipation.
Conclusion
Lumbar support is so important, and whether or not you suffer from back pain, you should prioritize your lumbar support.
The lumbar region is often neglected and results in serious discomfort, pain, or permanent health problems. No one wants to be uncomfortable while they’re working or gaming. It lowers your productivity and success. Adding a soft lumbar pillow will do wonders for your comfort.
Before you begin to suffer the discomforts and issues that come along with poor posture and a misaligned spine, get yourself some decent lumbar support, you’ll thank us later!
FAQs
Do I need upper back support?
Your upper back does not require as much support to achieve correct posture. The most important parts to support are your lumbar region and your neck, which can be done with a prominent headrest. You don’t want a pillow behind your upper back because this throws off the natural ‘S’ shape of your spine you want to achieve.
Is it better to buy a lumbar support chair or pillow?
If you already have an office chair you love, it’s fine to add a lumbar pillow. But if you aren’t thrilled with your current chair, take this opportunity to find a better quality chair that comes with excellent lumbar support. In the end, as long as your lumbar region is supported, you’re doing great!
Will a seat cushion offer lumbar support?
To a degree, a seat cushion can improve your posture and support your lumbar. Seat cushions that have raised backs and lower toward your knees will force you to adjust your posture so your spine will align better. However, using a seat cushion for lumbar support will require more effort on your part to maintain the ideal posture. In the end, we recommend a specific lumbar pillow over just a seat cushion.
Can I make DIY lumbar support?
Yes, you totally can. Use a firm but small pillow and fold it up or place it in the natural curve of your spine. People also use a rolled-up towel because the circular shape is ideal for the shape of your lumbar region. A DIY lumbar support pillow is better than nothing, but consider investing in a pillow designed for lumbar support.
