Your body’s position greatly effects the amount of pressure on your lower back. Laying on your back creates the least amount of pressure. Just by standing straight you put 4 times the amount of pressure on your lower back as compared to laying on your back. And bending forward while standing will increase the pressure on your lower back by another 50% as compared to standing straight. (Perhaps this is why so many patients’ lower back pain starts just by bending forward.) Your lower back pressure is significantly increased when you bend forward while holding a weight (like bending over to pick up a child or a box) and the heavier the weight the more the pressure.  Now you would think sitting would lower the pressure on your lower back, but the opposite is actually true.  Sitting applies almost the same amount of pressure as standing and bending forward. This is why prolonged sitting is so bad for you lower back.  Now if you sit and have poor posture, you increase the pressure on the lower back as well. But the highest amount of pressure is created when you sit and lean forward with weights in your hands.

Chiropractic and decompression help to decrease the pressure on you lower back.  Call today for an appointment.