Around 80% of Americans will develop a back issue at some point. This seems natural as it’s a common issue for the elderly. However, half of those at working age experience back pain symptoms.
This is much more common today when sitting at office jobs is the norm. This is why back pain is one of the most common issues of office workers, too.
It’s quite easy to prevent this, though. You only need a back gel cushion to help you ease some discomfort and pain.
How does this solve the issue? Read on to find out how it reduces back pain and the other reasons why you should get one.
1. Back Pain Relief
Among the many causes of back pain, such as an injury, strain, ruptured disks, diseases, and such, one of its most common is something we do daily: sitting for too long.
An adult sits for around 6.5 hours on average, while it’s longer for teens. For office workers, where there’s nothing to do but sit in front of a computer for hours, it’s even longer.
This is why back pain is common among the working class and the inactive. It’s likely to develop if you don’t do something, like having a back gel cushion or standing up often, to augment the damage that it causes.
Why does sitting cause so much damage anyway?
Why Sitting Too Long is Dangerous
When you take a seat, your hips and back don’t support as well. It causes your hip flexor and hamstring muscles to shorten.
Tight hamstrings and hip flexors can contribute to lower back pain, as well as knee stiffness. It can also affect your balance and gait.
Furthermore, sitting too long puts too much stress on your spine, back muscles, and neck. This then causes back pain and even neck pain.
It compresses your spine by up to 30%. This increases the risks of developing herniated discs or degenerative disc disease. This will cause pain in higher intensity than regular back pain.
When you think of it, back pain is one of the least damaging effects of sitting too long. It can also cause a host of other issues that don’t even affect your back.
It can mess with your metabolism, lead to mental health problems, cause diseases, and more. It’s even linked to the development of Type 2 diabetes.
How a Back Gel Cushion Eases Back Pain
When sitting in an upright position, a gel back support cushion reduces the strain on your muscles, spine, and neck. This helps reduce some of the risks associated with the lack of proper support when sitting.
This is especially important for office workers. Employers don’t usually give much thought into the ergonomics of an office chair, after all. Employees don’t have much choice other than sitting in their desks, as well.
A back cushion has a design that fits your back comfortably. Plus, memory foam is malleable. It reacts to your body heat to conform to its shape.
This way, it’s a perfect fit to the curve of your back, allowing it to provide the best support. If you’re one of the ones who suffer from a distorted spine, this is an important feature.
It can provide custom support because it cradles each curve of your back. There’s no pressure point or compression. Still, it’s density makes sure your back receives the proper support.
It also gives the chance for muscles to rest. Muscle fatigue turns into back pain when left unchecked, and it can even cause chronic back pain. Having proper support puts less stress on your back muscles, as well.
If you need the ultimate seating support, get some office seat cushions while you’re at it. Gel seat cushions for back pain reduce compression on your tissues in the pelvis, legs, and back.
Nevertheless, remember to stand up and stretch from time to time. This will help counter the other effects of sitting too long.
2. Correction of Posture
Sitting in a non-ergonomic chair also leads to slouching. It may feel comfortable for a moment, but what happens is that it puts extra strain on your back. It takes more effort to adopt a good posture when sitting, but it’s healthier.
When you’re working or driving, though, posture may become an afterthought. You won’t notice the detrimental effects until you’re plagued with chronic back pain and more issues.
A back cushion helps you maintain good posture while you’re busy focusing on other things. Why is this important for you?
Why You Need Good Posture
Your posture dictates the alignment of your bones and joints. As such, it has a role in making sure you use your muscles properly.
With poor posture, your bones and joints become misaligned. Your muscles will work harder, putting unnecessary stress on it. This leads to muscle fatigue, which then leads to back pain.
Yes, poor posture also contributes to back pain and a host of other problems. As we’ve said above, stress on the bones and muscles creates pain. Couple sitting with poor posture and you have the perfect recipe for back issues.
With constant slouching, your spine has a risk of becoming fixed in an abnormal position, as well. You might have to undergo therapy to undo this.
You can also develop circulation problems. This might make you at risk for developing varicose veins. Not to mention all the other health problems that come with poor posture whether you’re sitting, standing, or sleeping.
Slouching also affects your internal organs. They can be out of place or compressed. When this happens, you may have an impaired lung function, poor digestion, and such.
It may even affect your mood and self-esteem. A previous study with 61 participants revealed that an upright posture may have a positive effect on self-confidence, self-focus, and fatigue.
How a Lumbar Pillow Helps Correct Posture
If you’re finding it hard to keep a good posture while you’re sitting, a lumbar support cushion will save the day.
It supports the natural curves of your back. Its conforming properties allow you to maintain the natural alignment of your spine. It doesn’t let you slouch as it holds the curves of your spine.
Memory foam is soft and cozy, too, so you’ll feel more comfortable maintaining a proper posture. You won’t need to put attention to it or put effort into adopting an upright position.
If you already have a misaligned spine, gel-infused memory foam can also help you on your way to correct it.
3. Good Ventilation
Did you know that memory foam came about from the research of NASA? Yes, its technology comes from a 1966 invention, but it’s pretty much close to perfect even by today’s standards.
One thing that people have a gripe with, though, is memory foam’s tendency to retain body heat. It absorbs more heat the longer you’re in contact with it. Add to that its conforming properties, and you get a hot, suffocating feeling.
This can be a huge problem in hotter areas, where summers (or even normal days) can be quite unforgiving. Its structure doesn’t allow for proper airflow, too, so sweat won’t evaporate. It will stay there and contribute to the problem.
Gel infusion is a third-generation technology that aims to combat this issue. A gel is both solid and liquid. When it changes states, it’s able to change the heating absorption properties of the material.
Gel-infused memory foam has cooling effects by taking advantage of this natural process. It has beads or capsules. containing the gel, so it can safely change states without anything leaking.
The infusion of the gel also allows for better breathability. Memory foam has closed cells, which compress when you apply pressure and body heat. When compressed, they don’t allow for airflow.
The second-generation of memory foam technology addressed this issue by having open cells. Gel infusion, however, also takes care of this issue as the process itself opens up the cells. You get good ventilation and better airflow.
Gel-infused memory foam has other benefits aside from this, listed below.
Better Support
Memory foam is already dense and malleable enough to provide good support. A gel-infused variant, however, is even better at it.
The gel is more resilient to body heat. That means it doesn’t react as much as traditional memory foam.
While it still conforms to the shape of your body, it doesn’t let you sink too much in it. It doesn’t get in the way of your proper alignment.
It’s both soft and firm, which is the perfect level of firmness recommended for those dealing with back pain. Any cushion shouldn’t be too firm that it doesn’t match your curves. Yet, it shouldn’t be too soft that it lacks proper support.
Hypoallergenic
Memory foam is resistant to dust mites, one of the most common causes of nighttime allergy. Its droppings, when inhaled, irritate our lungs. This can be why you experience sneezing, itching, and such when you sleep and upon waking up.
The structure of memory foam makes it an unattractive place for the breeding of dust mites. As such, you won’t have to worry about allergies no matter how much you use it.
It’s hypoallergenic and hygienic, so it’s a good choice for back cushions, too.
Durable
Memory foam, on average, lasts around 8 years. It can last even longer – up to 25 years – depending on the quality of what you get.
In general, memory foam cushions and mattresses can last you a long time if you buy a good one. Look for one with at least 4 to 5 lbs/cubic foot density or higher.
The higher the density, the longer it will last you. It’s a good investment, anyway, as you might not get the full benefits of memory foam if you skimp on it.
Your weight also plays a factor. A user on the heavier side may want to invest in one with a higher density.
4. Versatility
A back gel cushion is portable and versatile, which means you can bring them with you to work. Its slim shape makes it easy to fit into a tote bag, so you can carry it with you everywhere.
Its shape fits all standard chairs, too. You can use it on your office chair, on your dining chair, on the car seat, and even on the bus. This is a must when you need proper lumbar support after suffering from a back injury or similar instances.
Some have straps that will allow you to fixate the cushion into the back of the chair. This allows you to put it higher in the chair, depending on which part of your back needs support.
It doesn’t even matter whether you’re going to an airconditioned place. Gel-infused cushions have good ventilation and cooling properties. If you’re taking public transport on a hot summer day, it will help you cool while supporting your back.
Because it’s durable, you only need one cushion. You don’t need to worry about using it too much, so you can also have a cushion on your travels.
It will spring back to its original shape every time you don’t use it. Because of the gel, it also springs back faster than traditional memory foams.
However, note that memory foam is pretty dense because of its structure. It needs to be that way so it can provide good support. For this reason, it can be a bit heavier than other types of cushions.
That doesn’t affect its portability. Still, it’s worth noting, especially if you’re taking public transport to and from work. If you have a car, this isn’t even an issue.
Treat Yourself to a Back Gel Cushion Today
If you’ve been having problems with your posture and back pain, then you need a back gel cushion ASAP. It’s a lower-cost solution to buying a new office chair. It even has a bigger advantage as you can use it at home and in the car, too.
Check out what we have in store for you or contact us if you have any questions.
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