There has been a massive migration lately from sitting desks to standing desks.

While I think that the intentions are good and it certainly can be a beneficial thing, it is not always the case.

A standing desk might not be as good as you think it is when we boil down the details. 

Nurses, flight attendants, and cashiers all have a tendency to suffer from varicose veins, knee pain and low back pain. 

We see this every single day at our office, Precision Chiropractic in Matthews.

Isn’t standing better than sitting?

It is because both sitting and standing cause us to suffer from the same thing: stasis. 

If we are standing but we do not move enough, it causes blood to pool in our lower extremities and that backflow causes the valves in our veins to fail which creates more stress for the preceding valve which causes that to fail as well. This leads to varicose veins. 

Standing without movement creates a ton of compression on our joints and tissues of the lumbar spine leading to dehydration of the tissues and then deterioration, pain, and weakness. 

Standing without movement also usually leads to stacking of the bony elements of our spine in order to try to create some stability rather than utilizing our neuromuscular control like our body was designed to. Translation: jamming our joints instead of using our postural muscles to hold our position.

Which one is better?

I do prefer a standing desk over a sitting desk BUT only if you follow these principles:

  1. Maintain an upright posture and avoid shifting your hips forward and hyperextending your lumbar spine.
  2. Use a lacrosse ball under one foot at a time and keep alternating sides forcing you to add movement, balance, and stability rather than having no movement.
  3. Take mini-breaks every 25-50 minutes to stretch, lift, or walk which will help to keep your tissues supple and mobile.
  4. Make sure your monitor and your keyboard is at the ideal height to minimize tension on your cervical spine, shoulders, elbows and wrists.

So what is the take-away?

If you follow these suggestions, you should find yourself having more energy and less pain. 

If you choose to continue to use a sitting set-up, you can follow many of the same principles to maximize your health and minimize the damage that extended periods of sitting can create – frequent breaks, optimal monitor and keyboard height, good posture, and consistent movement.

Corrective Chiropractic Care serving Matthews, Weddington, Ballantyne, Waxhaw and the surrounding areas

If you have any questions or would like to set up a complimentary consultation to discuss your workplace ergonomics, just call or text us at (980) 202-2890, and we would be happy to help in any way that we can.

We know how much stress and pain can be caused by hours of sitting, or even standing, at a computer. This stress can negatively impact the spine and nerve system.

At Precision Chiropractic, our goal is to get to the root cause of the issues you are experiencing and help you get your life back and keep it healthy for the long run.

Sincerely,

Dr. Matt Westheimer