The number of people suffering from back pain is on the rise. The number is increasing

with every passing day. It has been one of the major causes for being absent at work.

Affected people are looking for solutions to get rid of it. While some articles claim that

sitting at a 90-degree angle is good posture to help with back pain, sources, on the other

hand, reveal a different story.

Research shows that a reclined sitting posture is good for overall health. Here we will

focus on the reasons that show why reclined sitting is better for your health. So, let us

start our investigation.

Close to a standing position

A reclined position is very close to a standing position. They are called similar position

because when you recline you create an angle that is close to an angle that is created

while standing. When we are in a standing position we give the least amount of load to

the spine and the surrounding muscles. At this time the inward curves (called lordosis)

and outward curves (called kyphosis) of the spine are mostly in neutral position. This

position is considered very good for the back health.

In office, most of the people work leaning forward. This unnatural posture causes the

discs of the spine to wear out. Leaning forward puts most strain on the discs of the

spine. Also, it has been said that you may experience back pain due to degeneration of

the discs. These discs act as shock absorbents giving flexibility to the spinal column.

Less fatigue in the back muscles

Research shows that the backrests that are angled more than 90 degree decrease

muscle activity. The chair’s lumbar support is also associated with a reduction in muscle

activity. Less muscle activity results in less fatigue. This means the muscles are less tired

and there is a lower chance of back muscle injury. This is nicely portrayed in the graph

given below. As you can see the level of muscle activity falls drastically at 90-degree

backrest inclination. The higher the reclining angle, the lower the muscle activity. From

125-degree backrest inclination, the muscle activity becomes almost constant. Less

muscle activity means less muscle fatigue, ergonomic risk, long-term back specific risks.

In office it is not pragmatic to work in a 125-degree reclined posture. For most office set

up the reclined angle beyond 115 degrees may not be possible. Also, if you have decided

to work in a reclined posture, make sure you adjust your workstation according to your

sitting posture.

Less pressure on the spine

Sitting for long hours has been associated with disc herniation. As you can see from the

graph below that with an increment of backrest inclination angle there is a reduction of

disc pressure. Lack of support in sitting postures will result in increased amount of strain

on the disc. Based on the results of the graph that is shown below the backrest should at

least be inclined to 100 degrees.

According to these findings sitting in reclined has a better effect on our back than sitting

straight. Having said that I would like to add that prolonged sitting will always have a

negative effect on our spine regardless of your posture. You can only minimize the risk

of back pain by attaining a good posture. So, make your choices now.