Your couch – An unexpected source of lower back pain?

Posted on January 28, 2013


(Last Updated On: April 11, 2016)

I mentioned in my list of injuries how I’ve hurt my lower back quite a few times. For the most part it doesn’t bother me, as long I take care of it.

Like most people, I need to look out for things like twisting too much or leaning over improperly. If I avoid these things I’m typically alright.

The last month or so my back had been acting up. I made sure to be more cognizant of my daily activities and such but this time I was having trouble figuring out what was flaring things up.

After a few weeks I noticed I would have issues during the day -like while working- but once I could lay / sit down I’d get some relief. It’s important to note here that during the week I am rarely sitting in my house since I’m barely home. I also noticed Mondays would sometimes be the day my back felt the worst.

I work Saturdays but from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning I have off. In that time period, if I’m not at a bar, then I’m typically laying around my house.

So, it’s really strange Monday would be a day my back didn’t feel well. If anything, Monday I should feel the best, because before Monday is when I’ve had the most amount of time laying / sitting down (the things that give me relief).

But, notice I mentioned during the week when I lay / sit down it’s primarily not at home, whereas from Saturday afternoon to Monday I’m sitting / laying down on my living room couch.

That is, Tuesday – Saturday feel decent; sitting at coffee shops or wherever. Mondays feel crappier after sitting on my couch all weekend.

After thinking about this I took a look at my couch from afar and, well,

treating lower back pain

Take a guess where my ass normally sits in that thing.

lower back pain from couch

My back and hips are angled, and I’m having trouble with twisting, because my couch is angled,

Lower back pain couch with line

No wonder my back doesn’t feel good after sitting on that thing. My back and hips are constantly angled the entire time I’m there. And seriously, sometimes on Sundays I’ll be on that thing for 12 hours.

So, I get out of that couch and into an evenly displaced recliner and voila, back feels better.

Sometimes it’s that simple…Sometimes it takes that much thinking to realize what that one simple fix is.

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