UKC

Hello all,

I've had a few lower back issues over recent months, for which I have various exercises to do, but a lot of my work involves sitting at a desk... I've found, in a few (limited) experiments, that sitting crosslegged on a footstool that slopes downwards slightly at the front (it's an Ikea one) seems to help my back, so investigating these kneeling chairs seems like a good next step.

Assuming that many of you out there reading this during the day are doing so from a seated position, more than likely in an office... does anyone use one of those ergonomic kneeling chairs? If so, do you use the sort that has what looks like a rocker underneath, or the sort that, from the side, has the two pieces forming an X shape?

Anyone found them to be better/worse/no different to a normal chair?

In reply to Tall Clare:
I tried one for a while that a colleague had finished with. It didn't really fit me (I have long legs), which was a problem. If it had, I think it would have been comfortable enough and better for posture and backs. However, it was awkward getting up and down from it which is a pain if you need to move around quite regularly. Probably worth having one and a normal chair, swapping between them every so often.

Have you seen the desks (common in Sweden) that go up and down so you can choose to sit or stand? Expensive but I think there are similar benefits.

In reply to MG:

That's a good point about the getting-up aspect - I could see myself tripping over... I think I might have to track one down to try out before shelling out.

I do tend to move round the house (mostly between the dining room and office) with my laptop, in part because my desk is an 80 year old oak kitchen table that I'm far too pigheaded to swap for something more useful/flexible, despite it being too small for all my clutter...

In reply to Tall Clare:

Hi Clare, I used one which looks like two pieces forming an X shape for a few months at work, due to back issues. As I am a prolific sloucher, leg crosser, twister and leaner, all I found was that I slowly took to sitting on it badly over time and it did me no good at all, so I went back to a chair. I found my knees didn't like the pressure on them either (perhaps I had it set up wrong).

You might be better off sticking with your homemade option of a footstool for a while, or perhaps try sitting on a stability ball (because if you sit badly on it you'll fall off!). If you can borrow a kneeling chair off someone to try out before you stump up the cash for one, that might be good too.

HTH
MB

In reply to Tall Clare:

measure the height of your table. You may find it s a good few cm higher than a workstation/office desk. That would mean that for good posture you might need a higher chair and a foot rest. A difference of 4cm while I did similar for a while played havoc with my posture and didn't help an old shoulder issue at all. You are perhaps finding the foot crossing thing comfortable as you are rocking up onto a little height boost to type. It maybe why the kneeling chair appeals.

I have a decent desk in the office now but my chair of choice is one I can tilt the back out of the way for part of the day and pop the arm rests off. This stops me getting the frozen shoulder issues that I am prone to when I rest/slouch in ways I should not.

In reply to ultrabumbly:

Some useful thoughts there - I'll investigate. My office chair, which I've used since I was about sixteen (n.b. I worked in a normal office for quite a bit of the time between then and now (39)), is actually a wooden chair without arms, so it's reasonably hard to slump (though it can be done!)

In reply to Tall Clare:

I've tried one in the past but didn't get on with it. After a workstation assessment from the Dept of Work & Pensions visitor, I went through a series of ergonomic chairs to no avail. Recently however I got a 'Steelcase Gesture' chair which is superb and has helped alleviate my lower back pain.

http://www.steelcase.com/eu-en/products/office-chairs/gesture/

The armrests in particular are a big improvement from my other chairs and help a lot. Best of luck in finding something that works for you but whatever you do I recommend getting a professional assessment of your current set up.

In reply to Fraser:




That sounds like an expensive undertaking followed by 'why don't you buy this £700 Aeron (or similar) chair and fancy complicated desk', more usually seen in places where one is unlikely to be using one's cat as a paperweight...

In reply to Tall Clare:

I work in a music studio and am sat at a desk operating a mouse for most of the day. I got a bit of lower back pain when I started at my current job about 4.5 years ago and switched from a chair to an exercise ball: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1213810.htm Super cheap. Been on it since then and have got rid of the back pain (as well as having rock hard abs )

That's not answering your question re: groovy footstools, but could be worth considering, especially as it's cheap to try out.

In reply to Tall Clare:

Possibly totally irrelevant, but do you spend much time driving? I found a slight change in my seating position in the car made a big difference.

I like the idea of the kneeling chair but haven't tried it. Would love to know how you get on. Can you get a second hand one on eBay or somewhere?

Hace you tried a foot rest? http://m.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/art/40240989/

In reply to ChrisBrooke:

I'm wobbling around on an exercise ball as I type! I'm a compulsive fidgeter so it's a wonder I haven't fallen off yet...

In reply to Tall Clare:

Hi Clare, do a search for a Chiropractic kneeling chairs; they actually make you sit upright with good posture. Good luck
Mike

In reply to Tall Clare:
I think the assessment is free - if you check out the DWP website I'm sure you'll find some info on it. I work in a large company and have folk who organised it, but I think if you need financial assistance for work equipment to deal with your 'disability / impairment' ie. your lower back pain, as a sole trader, I think you'd qualify We have more than 90 folk in the Glasgow office alone so my co. had to pay for the chair which was indeed expensive, but it's cheaper than having me off work with a bad back.

Cat as paperweight isn't a problem - cat as chair thief is!

EDIT: it's actually the 'Access to Work' programme you need to check out: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/overview

In reply to Tall Clare:
My dad used one of those chairs which has the seat sloping this way and the knee support sloping this way /, but less acute obviously, and he found it helped his back after quite a serious back injury.


Edit: The UKC software won't show the slash for the seat, but it's the opposite to the slash for the knee rest.

This is the thing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teknik-Ergonomic-Kneeling-Chair-Charcoal/dp/B00359Z...

In reply to Tall Clare:



I used to use one of the x shaped ones on casters, for a few years. Did not suit me really for many reasons - the angle of the legs (knee pad angle not adjustable), angle of the seat which was not adjustable, pressure on the knees, "effort" getting on and off, inability just to move legs, knees, feet, to keep circulation going, etc., all caused me to give up on it.

I just got a fully adjustable every which way office chair and find it far superior and better support. I got one with arms and that has the advantage in rising and lowering, but the disadvantage of leaning on them causing slight twisting since the arms are the only thing that can't be adjusted for height.

I am sure some folk love them, but not for me. If you could try one before buying you may be able to assess whether it suits you personally. Having bought mine I felt I needed to keep using it for far too long before giving it away!

In reply to Tall Clare:

I use the sort with a rocker underneath. I have a couple of these:

https://www.backinaction.co.uk/variable-kneeling-chair?gclid=Cj0KEQjw3auuBR...

I don't put loads of weight on my knees and my feet rest on top of the rockers.

Had them for 10 years and I think they are ace. I did not get on with the static ones.

In reply to Tall Clare:

I tried a kneeling chair for an afternoon and the very slight pressure of the tips of my toes on the ground made my bunions very unhappy. However I think I might be literally the only person who thinks this...

In reply to Tall Clare:

Try an unstable stool , with a deliberately rounded based which makes you keep balanced and moving- such as the VARIER MOVE. They are slightly hard work to begin with, but definitely good for back ache without giving you stiff legs.