An Office Seat Cushion That Can Change Your Life …
Do you need this special office seat cushion? Have you ever actually calculated how much of your time you spend sitting down? You may be surprised at what you find! From that long commute to the office to that long day at the office, at the computer, at the desk or many other work places – sitting down! The commute back home – sitting down! What about when you get home? You may enjoy a meal, watch television, chatting on the phone – sitting down!
So while your typical day may not be exactly as described above, surely for most of us we must admit that much of our time is spent in the sitting position.
Is there a way that you could minimize the risk and trauma of back and health pains associated with prolonged periods sitting? Actually the answer is yes! Likely as you read this article you are bent over the computer screen with your back taking on that unattractive, yet far too common unnatural curve. Yes, you can improve your ergonomics and every little bit helps.
Active Seat – The Healthiest Office Seat Cushion!
Specifically designed to encourage good posture, promote better muscle tone and blood flow this cushion is both an incredibly simple and effective invention that certainly lives up to its promise to ‘change your sitting experience for the better’.
While the Backtivator can be used anywhere from work, home, school, wheelchairs (and the list is endless!), this product is ideal as an office seat cushion. After all work is the place where most find themselves sitting for the longest.
Active Sitting Science
- According to a 2006 study in the the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Sitting posture of subjects with postural backache. The authors noted Postural Syndrome is a painful disorder caused by prolonged static loading of normal soft tissues continued until the point when mechanical stress triggers discomfort. They noted that students with back pain tended to sit for longer periods without interruption, and when they were sitting tended to adopt a more flexed (kyphosed) back posture.
- According to a 2004 scientific review published in the journal Spine, regarding the low back and injury, the accumulation of repeated stationary work like sitting is harmful. Sitting for one day may not be harmful, however, when done for hours each day, over months and years, it may be enough to overcome the protective effect of muscles, joints and ligaments, leading to muscular spasm, chronic pain and disability.
- A 2007 study published in the European Spine Journal indicated the prevalence rate of reported low back pain in those occupations that require the worker to sit for the majority of a working day is significantly higher than the prevalence rate of the general population. They also noted an association between the presence of sciatica pain and sitting for more than half of working time.
- A 2014 study in the Journal Of Sport And Health Science focused on “Active Sitting” and some of the suggested benefits, like a reduction of pressure on spinal bones, better awareness and control of body position, improved spinal posture, activation of core stabilization muscles, and increased burning or fat tissue as well as calories.
The authors concluded, “The subtle trunk motion presented during active sitting on air-cushion could play a role in reducing low-back conditions. Individuals with occupations requiring prolonged sitting should consider active sitting as a means for maintaining and promoting low-back health.”
- Scientific literature presented in a 2008 Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation regarding the loss of curve in the lower back from bad sitting posture (kyphosis). The authors indicated the potential damage that can result from prolonged sitting in poor posture and the need for health care professionals to advise frequent motion when sitting at work or home.
They also indicated the relationship between forces that compress the spine during long term static (still) sitting are similar to forces in disc degeneration. The authors stated, “Finally, it is essential to educate the public regarding the importance of movement during sitting, in particular on long haul flights and road trips. A long period of sustained kyphosed sitting followed by retrieval of heavy luggage using a flexed and rotated spinal maneuver is potentially hazardous to spinal structures.”
- A 2010 study in the journal Work, which is dedicated to both prevention as well as rehabilitation, indicated that a seat which promotes activity by using a measure of instability can relax the neck muscles as well as upper and lower back muscles and improve posture compared to a standard cushioned type seat. The scientific study indicates a cushion like the active seat may even help in the prevention of neck, shoulder and arm problems by helping to correct forward head posture.
- A 2015 study in the journal Physical Therapy In Sport demonstrated that an unstable sitting surface has a beneficial effect on the multifidus muscles of the lower back. They used a large ball as a sitting surface and measure the cross section area of the mutifidus compared to sitting on a stable surface. The unstable surface actually increased the cross sectional area of the muscle, indicating a value in rehabilitation.
- The authors of a 2010 issue of the Journal of Injury, Function & Rehabilitation indicated the importance of the stabilizing action of the lumbar spine multifidus muscles. They noted multifidus muscle dysfunction is “strongly associated with low back pain.” They explain that the muscle dysfunction results from pain, but the dysfunction can continue after the pain is resolved and be a factor in future episodes of back pain.
The long term or chronic dysfunction of the multifidus muscles leads to weakening and degeneration of the muscles, and can be seen on an MRI as replacement of the muscle with fat tissue. Active rehabilitation of these muscles is possible with an unstable sitting surface provided by the active cushion design.
- A 2021 study in Medicina found patients with extrusion/sequestration type lumbar disc herniation had smaller multifidus muscle at rest and during contraction compared to healthy subjects. Larger herniations were associated with decreased multifidus muscle size. Patient with more pain had greater muscle size changes.
- A 2014 study in the Journal of Radiology Case Reports indicates that active rehabilitation of multifidus muscles can be seen on MRI as a decrease in the fatty infiltration of these muscles of MRI. The authors noted the decrease in fat in the muscle was associated with improvement in the function of the lower back for individuals receiving muscle rehabilitation.
