Nigerians working in offices, business outlets and banks, among other places, sit for many hours. Many often complain of back pain. For others, it is numbness or joint problems. The question is: Does sitting for long affect people’s health? Does it pose any health challenge?
Experts said it can. Sitting posture and the kind of chair one sits in are factors which can trigger health challenges.
According to an Orthopaedic Surgeon at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, Dr Charles Uzodinma, seating for long can cause muscle problems and even kill.
He said: “While sitting, the bent knee and waist may delay the flow back of blood to the heart where they are coming from. It can cause numbness. The going down of the blood can make it clot. When this happens, it can cause blockage to the blood pipe in the lung and the person can die instantly.
“This is why experts tell people that when they get to a particular age, they should walk around, from time to time, to prevent blood clots, particularly, in those who constantly experience numbness. For example, people on a long distance air travel should get up once in a while to stretch out, so that blood can flow freely.”
He said seating for endless hours could cause muscle and musculoskeletal problems. Uzodinma said: “When somebody is sitting, the weight of his whole body usually rests on the spine. The backbone sits on top of each other. The waist which, carries the whole body, can be burdened. The backbone, which is surrounded by ligaments and muscles, has a shock absorber. It usually gets stressed when pressure is too much on it.
“The major problem with bad posture usually occurs when you are sitting on the backbone. This can cause backache among other muscloskeletal conditions. When you sit for a long time, even in the correct posture, the adverse effect will be there but it may not be as much as when your posture is bad; you still get affected all the same.
“The correct sitting posture is with your back bending backwards and your stomach coming out a bit. The lower back of the waist is pushed forward while your upper part is moved backwards. That is the correct sitting posture,”he said.
A surgeon, Dr Steve Ayanruoh, corroborated Uzodinma. His words: “Sitting for long can cause numbness. But when the person gets up and stretches the body, it goes away.”
He said it could also slow down the movement of blood and “blood vessels may be affected.” It could also cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a blood clot that forms in a vein. “Blood clots occur when blood thickens and clumps together.
Most deep vein blood clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. They also can occur in other parts of the body.
A blood clot in a deep vein can break off and travel through the bloodstream. The loose clot is called an embolus. It can travel to an artery in the lungs and block blood flow. This condition is called pulmonary embolism, or PE.
PE is a very serious condition. It can damage the lungs and other organs in the body and cause death.”
Ayanruoh advised that people should learn to stand and stretch after sitting for a while.
He said it usually leads to deep vein thrombosis, especially in fat people because of the amount of that they have in their body.
“Correct posture helps your body perform against the forces of gravity, in motion and at rest. Supportive furniture and a firm posture base, with feet on the floor, encourages the right seated position. Sitting posture is especially important to desk workers and people who use wheelchairs. If you experience pain in the shoulders or low back after prolonged sitting, your posture and your support systems may need overhauls.
“Sitting up straight requires a stable, balanced position of the pelvis. Along with this, you need to develop awareness of ideal body alignment to strengthen core muscle (Core muscles hold you upright.)
“The position of your lower body is important for good sitting posture. Your knee and hip joints should make a 90 degree angle. If your chair allows, and if you need to, adjust the height of the seat until these joints are at right angles. Your feet should be flat on the floor,” he said.
While sitting, he said, body weight is transferred from the pelvis onto the chair. “On the bottom of the pelvis are two knobby bones called sitting bones. Check if your weight is transferring onto your chair in front of the sitting bones, in back of them, or if you are right on top. If your weight is forward, your low back may be arched, which can tighten up muscles. If it’s back, you are probably slumping. Slumping can cause pain, strain or disc injury. To get on top of the sitting bones, gently rock back and forth on them. Pause in the centre, between the two end positions.
“Most of us have a slight curve in the low back. Spinal curves (in several areas) help maintain upright posture. You should be able to slip your hand in the space between your low back and the back of the chair. Problems arise when we over arch the low back. It can cause muscle strain or spasm. If you over arch, try to let the pelvis drop into a neutral position so that you are right on top of the sitting bones. If you slump, you may benefit from a lumbar cushion. A lumbar roll placed between your low back and the back of the chair can support your natural curve if your muscles are weak or tired,” he said.
