For remote and office workers, mid-afternoon lower back pain or a strained neck from sitting in meetings all morning are often blamed on chairs or your posture.

But, what’s going on has less to do with the angle of your spine and more to do with how long you’re staying stationary.

Our goal is to help explain what sitting does to your spine, why “fixing your posture” isn’t the only solution, and what you can do to protect yourself and your spine over the course of your workday.

How Sitting at Your Desk Affects Your Spine

As you sit, the natural inward curve of your lower spine flattens, and pressure increases on the front of the discs that cushion each vertebra. Because spinal discs have very little direct blood supply, they rely on movement to circulate nutrients and remove waste through a process called diffusion. Regular position changes, walking, and staying hydrated help keep your discs healthy and functioning properly.

Over time, prolonged periods of inactivity may contribute to disc dehydration and reduced flexibility, which can be associated with stiffness and back pain in some people.

Also, if you are sitting for long periods at your desk, you’re fatiguing your “deep trunk muscles, thereby decreasing spinal support and increasing stress on the spine.”

In supported sitting, some postural muscles are less active. When long periods of sitting replace regular movement and exercise, these muscles may become deconditioned over time.

One factor often ignored is your forward head posture. If you spend most of your day focused on a screen, your head tends to drift forward of your shoulders.

Even modest forward head posture increases the mechanical demand placed on the muscles and joints of the neck and upper back, which can contribute to fatigue and discomfort.

To avoid long-term pain, the goal is to find ways to alleviate these issues throughout your workday.

Fixing Your Posture Isn’t The Only Answer

The most recent research available does not support the idea that posture prevents or causes back pain.

A 2025 review published in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation looked at 22 studies covering more than 7,800 office workers, examining how sitting time, sitting posture, and sitting behavior each related to low back pain.

Posture showed a relationship with back pain in some studies but not others. Sitting time alone was similarly mixed.

The most consistent pattern was tied to sitting behavior, or how often someone moved around throughout the day.

One consistent finding across ergonomics research is that frequent movement and changing positions throughout the day appear to be more important than maintaining a single “perfect” posture.

Your posture might not be perfect every day, and that’s okay. What matters most is building movement into your workday to alleviate the stress put on your neck, shoulders, and spine from sitting at your desk.

Setting Up Your Workstation

A well-designed desk and workstation limits avoidable back strain. They won’t cure or fix your problems, but they can help prevent further issues.

For your chair, look for support that follows the natural curve of your lower back, and set the height so your feet rest flat on the floor with your knees roughly level with your hips.

If your chair doesn’t offer built-in lumbar support, a rolled towel or small cushion placed at the small of your back can serve the same purpose.

With your computer monitor, position the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, about an arm’s length away.

This keeps your head from moving forward, lessening neck strain.

You also want to ensure that your keyboard and mouse are close, your elbows stay near a 90-degree bend, and your wrists remain in a neutral position.

This advice is the same if you’re working at a kitchen table or in a communal workspace.

Movement to Prevent Back Pain

The best way to prevent back pain is to simply stand up, stretch, and walk for a few minutes every half-hour/hour.

A 2024 study using infrared thermography compared office workers who took structured movement breaks every 30 minutes against those who sat continuously for 90 minutes.

The active group showed a measurable reduction in back muscle strain over time, while the stationary group maintained an elevated level of strain throughout the study.

The best news is that finding time to move around is pretty easy. You can build in time in between meetings, or find ways to take a walk around your neighborhood and office building.

For your regular exercise routine, building core strength gives your spine more support and reduces stress on your ligaments and joints during the workday.

When Should You Call a Doctor?

Stiffness after a long day at your desk is common, and for most people, a little bit of exercise, stretching, and rest is enough to make it go away.

But some symptoms deserve a deeper look.

If you have pain that persists despite movement breaks, pain that radiates down an arm or leg, numbness or tingling, or noticeable weakness, regular habit changes might not be enough.

Experiencing any of these symptoms is a sign you need to see Dr. Krob at CORE Orthopedics. Our team works with you to find the quickest, safest, and most effective path forward for a life without pain.

Struggling with Back Pain? Call CORE Orthopedics Today!

A few changes to your desk and daily habits go a long way towards protecting your spine. But if you’re suffering from chronic pain, it’s time to see Dr. Krob at CORE Orthopedics.

Book an appointment online or call us at (847) 690-1776.