Office Overload – The Hidden Cost of Sitting

Numerous studies have highlighted a worrying trend among office workers and people similarly bound to their chairs for long periods of time: They often experience muscle pain, disc, and nerve compression at a higher rate compared to those who have physically demanding jobs, such as farmers and construction workers. People who seemingly have jobs that are less taxing on their body are in higher risk of those ailments for one simple reason: Prolonged periods of sitting.

To understand the stark effect of sitting on our bodies, let’s consider the following graph:

As a baseline, let’s say when standing in a “neutral” position, with good body posture, the pressure on the lower back is 100%. Simply sitting in a straight posture already increases that load to 140%. But when we slouch, that pressure skyrockets to 185% and even further, with the highest extreme reaching up to more than twice the percentage from our initial baseline.

While this increase in stress is a good indicator of the problem, as always, there are nuances to the problem. Disc herniation and muscle pain primarily stem from the fact that often, our bodies simply aren’t trained for this kind of stress. Thankfully, we can mindfully adapt our body to the strains of our environment. If “not sitting“ simply isn’t an option, building the appropriate muscle to deal with it, is a viable solution.

As a matter of fact, developing muscle essentially is the process of putting stress on the body until fatigue sets in. Our muscles answer by growing back stronger. If managed correctly, this continuous improvement can lead to a strong physique that can weather the effects of prolonged sitting.

Let’s dig deeper into the anatomical reasons for disc injuries, to further understand how the lack of strength impacts the stress on our body. Pain is often felt suddenly, seemingly from one moment to the next, which leads many to falsely attribute it to aging. Paradoxically, most times, the triggering source can be attributed to the lifestyle and lack of training in the 10+ years prior. Symptoms of pain are only felt later but the fundamentals have been laid for a decade and longer.

Technically speaking, overstretched longitudinal spinal ligaments and muscles are the root cause of disc injuries. This leads to destabilization that, in turn, results in blockages. Imagine a rubber band pulled taut repeatedly until it loses its elasticity—a similar fate befalls our ligaments and muscles from constant strain. After enough damage, they fail to support the continous pressure on the spine.

Our bodies ingeniously compensate by calcifing stressed muscles as a protective response, effectively "bonifying" them to counteract the strain. Although, these countermeasures may sometimes work for a long while, they are only temporary and the risk of tears increases over time.

Desk workers often tear their supraspinatus muscle, a shoulder muscle. This seems strange, because their jobs don’t typically involve lifting heavy weights. However, if that muscle is constantly stretched due to insufficient muscle strength and inadequate elbow support, it will gradually lengthen over time. As the muscle works against gravity to hold the shoulder in place, it will eventually rupture if not strong enough. At times, suddenly, when lifting something heavy or due to another stress impulse.

To tackle the issues associated with sedentary lifestyles, we’ve build "The Office PRO” routine, that provides specialized regimens to release tension, build muscle, protect the spine, and improve health and well-being. The first level can now be accessed for free in our HealEra app.

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As always, thanks for reading,

(1) PainScience.com. (n.d.). Nachemson’s Famous (and Misinterpreted) Study of Intradiscal Pressures in Various Positions. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://www.painscience.com/biblio/nachemsons-famous-and-misinterpreted-study-of-intradiscal-pressures-in-various-positions.html

(2) Musculoskeletal Key. (n.d.). Tissue Behavior, Injury, Healing, and Treatment. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://musculoskeletalkey.com/tissue-behavior-injury-healing-and-treatment/

(3) Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Stress (mechanics). In Wikipedia. Retrieved Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_%28mechanics%29