Soon, people working sedentary jobs will be able to take advantage of an innovation created to prevent troublesome back pain — researchers have created a prototype of an office chair that activates deep muscles and improves trunk stabilization.

Research shows that many people spend almost 80 per cent of their working day sitting and at least half of that time in the same body position. The prolonged and invariable sitting posture is associated with lower back pain due to impaired musculoskeletal control.

Sitting on the usual non-ergonomic chairs, which can be found in most offices around the world, can cause serious health problems.

Employees who experience back pain due to faulty posture find it difficult to concentrate, make decisions, and absorb textual information. According to the researchers, the muscle- stimulating chair they have developed does not allow poor posture because the brain center responsible for the balance is constantly activated by nerve impulses.

In contrast to other ergonomic chairs, the invention will change the user’s posture by stimulating the deep muscles of the trunk. The seat of other office chairs on the market can move freely around its axis, the degree of instability is not adjustable, and there is no option to change the amplitude of motion. The new chair, designed by a team of scientists, will feature all these functions, so the ergonomic seat will be able to adapt to a safe level of instability and cater to the needs of each person.

Don’t have access to one of today’s ergonomic chairs, much less a high-tech one such as described above? Chiropractic care may help you avoid the back pain caused by prolonged sitting.

Presented as a service to the community by: Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com