Back Support Chair

By Sally Ann Quirke, Chartered Physiotherapist | Filed under: Posture Support Products

Published: 04 December 2015

Too often, I have seen a back support chair which does not help people with their back pain. This is simply due to the fact that when you are working at your desk it is next to impossible to sit back into your supporting chair while working!

I am frequently asked “which back support chair is the best?” by my physiotherapy clients.

The answers I give can vary, as it depends on a couple of factors:

1. What type of work station you require it for:

This will influence the type of chair you require. Someone at an office desk will require a very different back support chair to someone using it for recreation at home.

2. The type of posture you have:

This will influence the type of chair I would advise you to get. Your body weight would also be a factor to consider, as someone light may do well with a kneeling chair, whereas someone of above-average weight may injure their knees over time with this device.

3. The type of back problem you have:

Will dictate if a back support chair will help you at all. If your back problem is structural it may require a device, but if it is postural home exercises may work better in the long term.

Overall, I generally avoid expensive back support chairs. In most cases this is due to my belief that we should all learn and maintain an active posture. This is where you teach and train your own muscles to hold in a good sitting posture.

Too often, I have seen people spend lots of hard-earned cash on a back support chair which does not help them with their back pain. This is often simply due to the fact that when you are working at your desk it is next to impossible to sit back into your back supporting chair while working!

More often you are sitting forwards to engage with someone or something, your computer for example. In this situation, which I consider very common, an expensive chair will not be the solution to your back pain.

The real solution is for you to learn how to sit correctly using your own body’’s muscles.

Pilates will help you do this, as would the Alexander technique. A one-on-one session with a physiotherapist would also put you on the right road.

A back support chair that I recommend and sell daily is called the “back friend”. It is an affordable fold-up seat that you can place on top of your existing seat. It can be used in the office, car and sofa at home. It is a good support device, which when combined with good active sitting will help you greatly in the resolution of your back pain.

However - if you are still interested in purchasing - you can see examples of the lumbar support office chair here.

Or - have a look at the cheaper option - The Lumbar Support Roll here.