Will a new chair for sciatica pain make you more comfortable at work? Which chair should you choose for best results? This report is a follow-up article, provided by popular demand, to my original page about ergonomic chairs. A quality sciatica chair can be an expensive investment as a home-based treatment for back and leg pain.
Many people are forced to sit for long hours every day due to their professional or personal responsibilities. Sitting sciatica is a very common symptomatic complaint and can make this seated time a living hell. Many people turn to specialized back pain chairs, hoping to find relief from their torturous agony.
This discussion will go into greater detail about the variety of sciatica seating products which are available, as well as how well each might work to provide relief from sitting-related pain.
Catalog of Chairs for Sciatica Pain
Sciatica relief chairs fall into several categories. Here are some details on the most common types:
Ergonomic office chairs should be used by anyone who sits regularly, pain or no pain. An ergonomic chair will make sitting more comfortable and will also help ensure good posture while working at a desk or computer. However, even the best ergonomic chair is unlikely to cure chronic sciatica. If a chair can reduce the severity or duration of pain, it is already doing quite a lot.
Kneeling chairs are an alternative option for patients who have a particularly difficult time with a traditional seated posture. These devices place the user in a modified sitting-kneeling position, with much of the body weight placed on the shins, rather then the buttocks. These chairs take a lot of getting used to.
Ultra-soft chairs made of foam or memory foam, like Tempurpedic, are sometimes marketed to sciatica sufferers. These may be comfy, but are certainly not therapeutic for back pain and may even contribute to symptomatic escalation in many instances.
Special sciatica cushions and sciatica pillows can be placed on any normal chair. These devices may increase comfort, but are not likely to provide any real semblance of relief.
Chair for Seated Posture Pain Indications
Most sciatica endured while sitting is not due to the myth that sitting is bad for your spine or harmful in any way. In fact, most sitting sciatica is simply a conditioned response. In addition, long periods of sitting are almost always associated with stressful situations, such as work or being stuck in traffic. It is no wonder that we are programmed to experience pain at these times, since the mind is under constant siege by the pressures of daily life.
If there are already repressed or sensitive emotional issues being actively guarded in the subconscious, then these new stresses simply are too much to bear, often creating the type of psychosomatic sciatica which has given the condition such a treatment resistant reputation. No chair in the world will cure this type of pain.
Efficacy of Chairs for Sciatica Pain
I used to buy into the marketing ploys of these specialized sciatica products. I tried so many different types of chairs for my own back pain, but none helped. For years now, I have been sitting in a cheap ergonomic chair purchased on clearance at my local office supply store. It is nothing special, but is fine for my needs. It is getting quite old and I could use a new one, but think I will hold out until a manufacturer would like a review of one of their new ergonomic products. This way, we can all benefit from the new chair!
When it comes to a chair for sciatica pain, here is my advice: Save the money on any expensive chair, cushion or device and concentrate on finding an accurate diagnosis. Without this often overlooked aspect of care, you will never find a cure and will be doomed to be among the walking wounded who live, breathe and sleep back pain 24/7.
If you have lots of money to spend, feel free to buy the best, even if you just like the look or feel of the chair. Having nice new things is great, but statistically, no chair is likely to cure you or even provide more than mild to moderate symptom reduction. If you do not expect too much, then you can not be disappointed.
