Overview

When you have low back pain, try these steps to help you move from sitting to standing:

• If you are in a chair with arms, scoot forward until you are on the edge of the seat. Bring your feet in toward the chair. Then stand up. Use the arms of the chair to push yourself up while keeping your back straight.
• If your seat does not have arms, position yourself as above. Place your hands on the seat next to your thighs and push up. Keep your back as straight as you can.

Slumping or slouching alone may not cause low back pain, but after the back has been strained or injured, bad posture can make pain worse. "Good posture" generally means your ears, shoulders, and hips are in a straight line. If this posture causes pain, you may have another condition such as a problem with a disc or bones in your back.

A healthy back has three natural front-to-back curves that give the spine an "S" shape. Although the curves vary a lot from person to person, the right amount of curve for you is called your neutral position. See a picture of the spine (Figure 1) that shows the natural curves.

Figure 1 - Spine

The spine (backbone) is composed of 33 interlocking bones called vertebrae that are separated by soft, compressible discs and supported by many different ligaments and muscles. It is divided into five segments: cervical (neck), thoracic (upper and middle back), lumbar (lower back), sacrum (pelvis), and coccyx (tailbone). In each segment, the vertebrae are numbered from top to bottom. For example, a C3 is the third vertebra in the neck area, while a T6 is the sixth vertebra in the thoracic area.

The vertebrae in the spine normally form three curves. These curves allow the spine to absorb shock as you move.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.