What is the correct sitting posture for lumbar disc herniation

The incidence of lumbar disc herniation is increasing day by day because this disease is closely related to the patient's daily living habits and working environment. Patients with lumbar disc herniation actually suffer a lot, and sometimes they feel very painful when they sit down.

A. Standing posture: The correct standing posture is to bend the knees slightly, naturally retract the abdomen, and raise the chest and head, so that the center of gravity of the body moves from the mastoid process behind the ear down through the central horizontal axis of the hip joint, the front of the second sacrum, to the front of the knee joint and the front of the ankle joint, and falls on the weight-bearing foot. At this time, the body's gravity line passes through the lumbar vertebral body or the back of the intervertebral disc, which can effectively prevent the nucleus pulposus from herniating again. Poor standing posture, especially spinal crookedness, can cause uneven stress on the intervertebral discs, which is a potential cause of intervertebral disc herniation. The correct standing posture should be with eyes looking straight ahead, chin slightly retracted, chest up, waist straight, calves slightly retracted, legs upright, and feet about the same distance apart as the width of the pelvis. In this way, the entire pelvis will tilt forward, allowing the body's gravity to be evenly transferred from the spine and pelvis to the lower limbs, and then from the lower limbs to the feet, so that you are truly "down to earth."

The standing position that should be adopted when working is: slightly bend the knees, gently contract the gluteus maximus, and naturally contract the abdominal muscles. This can cause the pelvis to tilt slightly backward, the lumbar spine to straighten slightly, reduce the lumbar sacral angle, increase the support of the spine, and reduce the burden on the intervertebral disc.

It is impossible to stand in one posture for a long time, so you can change to the "at ease" posture, that is, take a half step forward with one foot, put your weight on one lower limb, and let the other lower limb rest for a while, alternating between the two sides. You should not stand for too long and should do appropriate activities on the spot, especially waist and back exercises, to relieve fatigue of the waist and back muscles. Once a bad standing posture is discovered, it should be corrected in time. A good standing posture can prevent the nucleus pulposus from herniating again to a certain extent. B. Sitting posture: The correct sitting posture is to keep your upper body straight, abdomen tucked in, lower jaw slightly retracted, and lower limbs together. If possible, it is best to place a step or footstool under your feet so that your knees are slightly higher than your hips. If you sit on a chair with a backrest, you should try to keep your waist and back close to and lean against the chair back based on the above posture, so that the muscles in the lumbar and sacral region will not be too tired. In addition, it is not advisable to sit on a stool lower than 20 cm. You should sit on a chair with a backrest, which can bear part of the weight of the body, making the waist and back relatively relaxed, reducing the chance of waist and back strain.

C. Sleeping position: People’s sleeping positions can be roughly divided into three types: supine, side-lying and prone. When lying on your back, as long as the bedding is suitable and your limbs remain naturally stretched, the curvature of your spine will not change much. Generally, you don't need to be too particular about whether you sleep on your left or right side, because people always turn over and over in order to find a more comfortable position during sleep, about 20-45 times a night. When lying prone, the chest is compressed and the lumbar lordosis increases, which can easily cause discomfort. Therefore, the correct sleeping position should be supine and side-lying. Patients who have the conditions should place a soft pillow under the lower limbs when lying in the supine position so that the hips and knees can be slightly bent, the muscles of the whole body can be relaxed, the pressure on the intervertebral disc can be reduced, the tendency of disc herniation can be reduced, and the tension on the iliac lumbar and sciatic nerves can be reduced. This can effectively prevent the recurrence of lumbar disc herniation and is the best position for patients with lumbar disc herniation. When lying on the side, there is generally no need to be too particular about whether to lie on the right or left side, as long as the body feels comfortable.