Are Recliners Bad For Your Back? Tips For Pain-Free Relaxation

Is Using A Recliner Good For Your Back?

First of all, what are the arguments for using a recliner?

Well, there was a 2006 study that showed that reclining back at a 135-degree angle between your trunk and your thighs actually helps increase disc height as compared to upright sitting or forward lean sitting.

This was presented at the 2006 Radiological Society of North American. However, as far as I could find, it was never actually published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Is Using A Recliner Bad For Your Back?

On the other side of things, people claim that sitting in a reclined position encourages a slouch-seated posture.

Using a recliner in this position also puts your sciatic nerve on tension for a prolonged period of time, which could be bad for your back.

How Do You Use A Recliner To Help Your Back Pain?

Largely how to sit in the recliner depends on your back problem as well as how your recliner fits you.

When you're sitting in a recliner, probably the worst thing to do is to have your legs all the way out straight and be sitting up at a 90-degree angle.

At this angle, gravity has a maximum downward compression on you. Additionally, your lower back is rounded out which does increase disc pressure, and your sciatic nerve is on tension.

This is one of the reasons why many people get sciatica when driving because they're in this relative position for a long period of time.

If you're going to use a recliner, it's probably best not to sit with your legs all the way extended while your back is upright.

You actually want to recline in your recliner.

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How Far Should You Recline For Back Pain?

How far you recline is dependent on each individual person and the individual chair.

However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

When you're sitting upright, the hinge for the recliner is typically behind your hips.

Therefore, as you move from an upright position back into a reclined position, it puts your lower back in extension. If you have degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis, spinal extension may be bothersome.

So as you lean backwards, in order to avoid a backwards extension moment at your lower back, you may actually have to scoot further back up into the chair after reclining so that you're still supported by the backrest of the chair.

Recliners Reduce Gravitational Compression On Your Lower Back

When you recline, gravity is no longer compressing vertically down through your spine but it's actually creating more of a translatory force.

Since your reclining into the backrest of the chair, the chair helps resist that translatory force.

Is Using A Recliner Good For Neck Pain?

If you have neck pain, and you're reading or watching television while using a recliner, it may also be a good idea to put a pillow behind your head.

This prevents your neck from going too far into extension.  If you have degenerative disc disease in your neck your neck may hurt when extending it.

Bend Your Knees When Using A Recliner

Furthermore, if you still feel uncomfortable sitting in a recliner in a position like this, another tip that can help is bending your knees upwards so that your feet are resting on the bed of the recliner.

This further pushes you back into the chair. It also increases the flexion angle of your lower back which may help if you have degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis.

You might also try turning your knees out slightly into the armrests of the chair.

This can also help open up your hip joints when you're sitting with your hips at a 90° angle.

Conclusion

In conclusion, recliners are not inherently bad for your back.  In fact, when using a recliner can be incredibly good for your lower back if you use it in a way that fits your body and your condition.

Sitting in upright in a recliner with your legs fully extended may be slightly bad for your back as it puts your sciatic nerve on tension.

Instead, sit slightly reclined with your knees a little bit bent and your back fully supported by the backrest.

Need Help For Back Pain or Sciatica?

If you live in the St. Louis area and need help for back pain or sciatica, we'd be happy to help you. Just tap the button below to request an appointment with one of our specialist physical therapists.

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