BACKACHE? HOW TO SIT FOR PROLONGED WORK
Backache? It does not matter how you sit or on what you sit. What does matter to your spine is how long you sit.
Potential breakdown of spinal components start after 6 hours unless your chair is bio-mechanically friendly to them. This work is intended to explore the bio-mechanical (ergonomic) factors that may determine spinal pathology and lead to backache (Low Back Pain. LBP). And derive some answers.
Sitting on a log, a tree stump, an old dining room chair or a conventional office chair does not have a great effect on your back. It is on prolonged sitting that the bio-mechanics (ergonomics) affect spinal components. How long? Research suggests six hours or more which is common in the present work environment. The Sit/Stand concept sidesteps the issue of ergonomic inadequate chairs by only allowing sitting for short periods. However, people prefer to sit when working for long periods and a fully optimised chair is required. See ☛2T CONCEPT a full solution→
OBJECT of this work
Essentially medical, it is not intended to be commercial and make a fortune for someone although that is a potential possibility. It simply explains the factors that result in spinal breakdown and how to avoid them through better design. The facts have been available for a number of years, decades even (☛ REMEDIATION). However ‘Familiarity bias‘ is strong and millions have suffered from backache as a result.
NAVIGATION through the website
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Specifically, for general users :-
Knowledge is required derived from scientific work on :-
The effects of Upright sitting. The results
The evidence identifies the adverse factors which occur with conventional prolonged mid-upright sitting. Described under ☛ Biomechanics→. It results in flexion of the lower lumbar joints, which can cause spinal pathology. These include permanent stretching of the posterior spinal elements and a shift backwards of the IV disc contents (Smith F, 2007→). towards pain sensitive structures that can account for backache & serious spinal conditions. The upright seated posture.→
See ☛ ‘Why?’ Mandal’s Homo sedens→
See REMEDIATION → and BACKACHE? For users and patients (only)
The only full solution is ☛ 2T CONCEPT a full solution
The 2 TILT (3M) chair CONCEPT.
This is the big story derived from examining the bio-mechanical evidence, identifying the factors which can result in spinal breakdown on upright sitting and finally devising a concept for office work-chair design that avoids these adverse factors.
The conclusion was theoretical but was later validated and confirmed by a new 
technology ‘positional MRI’ (pMRI). A fully compliant 2T chair is ergonomically optimised (and optimally comfortable). Anything less should be unacceptable for prolonged use. The 2T concept addresses all the ergonomic factors that ensure a sitting position that is the least likely to perpetuate, or 
result in, backache and other spinal conditions. It also includes the necessary requirements to make this a user-friendly practical work-chair. Comfort is also thereby maximised. ☛2T CONCEPT a full solution
Perception & Reality. Familiarity bias
Western people have sat in an upright chair since childhood and have been indoctrinated that mid upright sitting is ergonomically ‘correct’. This has resulted in Familiarity bias which has been largely responsible for holding back the new ideas for more apprpriate ergonomic chairs (See in ☛ Familiarity bias.→) It will take time to change this misconceived perception. HAS
A digression….
