Recliners are a popular piece of home furniture because they are comfortable. Can be used in many ways, and look great in any room. People like relaxing in these soft seats after a long day at work or watching their favourite show.
But there’s a growing worry that these expensive chairs cause back pain. Which would make them bad for your goal of relaxing. Most recliners aren’t bad for your back as long as they have enough lumbar support and you don’t sit in them for long periods. The position of the recliner can also affect a person’s comfort while using it.
However, scientists have found that these Charis are mostly good for people for several reasons. In this article, we’ll bust the myth that recliners are bad for your back and explain how. When used right, they can be a great source of comfort and support. We’ll also discuss situations where recliners might cause back pain and how to fix this.
Do Recliners Give You Back Pain?
Most people live busy, hard lives in which they always have to put mental or physical effort into everything they do. This, along with the wonderful process of getting older. Can make you feel aches and pains every day, especially in your back. It can be difficult to inform if the pain you’re feeling is from your daily life or your favorite chair you spend hours in.
This is why they rarely cause back pain. Instead, people are often told to use recliners to improve their posture. Give their backs more support, and feel less pain. Recliners are good for your back as a tool and a piece of furniture. This has been proven by scientific research. Still, these chairs can hurt the person sitting in them if they don’t sit in them correctly or if the chair doesn’t fit their size and shape.
How a recliner can help your back
If you work at a desk and have to sit for long periods. Or if you like to relax in a big, comfortable chair at home, you’ve probably thought about getting a recliner. If you haven’t, you should.
Most importantly, recliners are good for your back because they give you the necessary lumbar support. Improve your sitting posture, and let you lean back instead of always sitting straight. All these make sitting in a recliner more comfortable and let people stay seated longer without hurting themselves.
Lumbar Support and Correcting Posture
When deciding if something is good or bad for your back. You usually look at two things: lumbar support and posture correction. The reason why recliners are so comfy and useful is that they offer both. Since lumbar support and posture are linked. Fixing one usually fixes the other and lowers or eliminates the risk of back pain.
The lumbar spine is usually found in a small depression in the lower back. This is because the spine is curved. So, when you sit down in a normal chair. There is usually space between the back of the chair and your lower back. This is because most chairs don’t have enough support in this area. Because of this, people tend to slouch to give themselves more support.
This means that you have bent your spine even more. Which can cause pain in your back, shoulders, and even neck. A recliner stops this from happening because it has a big cushion. Or lumbar support that lets your back sit properly against the chair. This improves the person’s sitting posture and makes it easier for them to stay in this position for longer.
Benefits of Leaning Back
As the word recliner suggests. Recliners are made to lean back so that the person sitting in them can lie down while sitting. This is another reason recliners are one of the best chairs to use daily. Scientists have found that lying back is the most comfortable sitting, especially for long periods. Sitting up straight and with good posture is great. But most people are so used to slouching that it’s hard for them to stay in that position for long.
This is partly because they have spent their whole lives slouching. Which makes their back muscles weak and unable to hold them in a straight position. Even though you should train your body to have better posture. Scientists have found that reclining at a 135-degree angle is the most comfortable and best-postured way to sit.
This lets you lean back enough to get good support and a straight spine while sitting up straight enough to do desk work, watch TV, talk, etc. It’s the perfect spot between sitting and laying down completely. Waseem Amir Bashir, MBChB, a researcher, has even said that this angle is better than the traditional 90-degree angle that most chairs have.
He has also talked about how important it is to sit well because putting too much stress on the spine and its ligaments over time can cause pain, deformity, and long-term illness. So, if you’re used to sitting all day in an uncomfortable office chair, your health should switch to a recliner.
How recliners can hurt your back
Even after reading everything. A few people probably won’t use recliners because they thought the chair was causing their back pain. Even if this is true, we say it’s probably not the chair’s fault because it was used incorrectly.
Back pain from a recliner is usually caused by insufficient support. Sitting at the wrong angle, or using the chair too much. Let’s discuss each of these in better detail so you can figure out what’s wrong with your painful recliner if you have any of these problems.
Inadequate Lumbar Support
We’ll begin with the point of support. Almost all recliners are made with extra cushions or padding. Where your lower back should be to give your back the support it requires. Still, not all recliners are made the same way, just like not all people have the same bodies. It would help if you tried out a recliner before you spent money on it.
Sit in the chair for two minutes to see. If it gives you the support you need and fits your size and shape. You might find that the lumbar support is too high or doesn’t go up far enough. This won’t work for you so it will hurt your back. This makes it harder to buy a recliner online. But you have to do it if you want one that won’t hurt you.
Sitting at an Incorrect Angle
We’ve already talked about how the best way to sit is with your back at an angle of 135 degrees. If you sit in a bad position, like fully reclining in your recliner and constantly craning your neck to see in front of you or straining your spine for hours while sitting perfectly straight, you’re giving yourself pain.
Too Much Use of the Chair
Too much of something good is always bad. Even though recliners are comfortable and, when used correctly, can help your posture and back support, that doesn’t mean you should sit in them for 8 or more hours a day. No matter what, sitting and lying down all the time will strain your body.
If you have a bureau job, try to get up and move around instead of staying in your office recliner the whole time. You might also look into a standing desk that can be changed between sitting and standing. We also want to say that your recliner is not a bed, no matter how comfortable. Please don’t make it a habit to sleep here, as it will cause you serious pain and soreness and lower the quality of your sleep.
Conclusion
Most of the time, recliners are great chairs to use if comfort and good posture are important to you or if you want to avoid or lessen back, neck, or shoulder pain. As long as you recognize how to utilize these chairs right and the lumbar support fits your body, you should be able to sit in them for hours. Remember that using these chairs too much or incorrectly can cause serious health problems over time, so be smart about how you recline.
