A poor sitting posture, or sitting for too long, causes injuries that many people discover later, doctors say.

Eric Mutabazi, the senior physiotherapist at King Faisal Hospital Kigali, says at least one out of three of all occupational injuries occur from work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

An increased load can cause premature degenerative changes; increased muscle activity can lead to fatigue, decreased circulation, and accumulation of metabolites, all which lead to pain.

"You can develop paraesthesia (numbness or burning of a person's skin with no apparent physical cause) in the fingers, aching wrists or carpal tunnel syndrome, upper and lower back pain, eye strain (redness, dryness, temporary blurry vision, soreness, and headaches), general aches in the neck, shoulders, arms, back, thighs, and lower legs, persistent pain or discomfort in the muscles, tendons, and other soft tissue,” Mutabazi notes.

He says that bad standing or sitting position can decrease blood flow to the heart, cause osteoporosis, bursitis, tendonitis, and lead to thoracic outlet syndrome.

Gerald Luzindana, a body fitness expert at Amazon Wellness Centre Gasabo, Remera, says poor sitting posture is ‘the new first-world problem causing more mental and physical health complications than most people realise.’

"The human body was designed to move (mobile in nature) not to sit in a chair for several hours. Fatigue, depression, pain, headaches, stiffness, can occur when the body is slouched and constricted, it prevents it from working optimally which could result in a bad mood,” he says.

Luzindana says that when the body remains in a seated position for an extended period of time, the functioning of the internal organs slows down; as a result, your energy levels decrease. You may start feeling irritable, tired or aggravated.

He adds that poor posture restricts oxygen flow, which makes it difficult to breathe and speak. Since most of our modern lifestyles require us to sit for most of the day, whether we are in the car or on the computer, the digestive tracts are constantly constricted — poor posture restricts its peristaltic function — which are muscle contractions that move food through your body, the less contractions it makes, the more difficult it is to digest.

What should you do?

Mutabazi says that it is wise to at least change position every 30 to 45 minutes when you are sitting. It is important to take care of your spine by keeping your ears in line with your shoulders and the hips. Upper arms should be close to the body and relaxed and the wrist should be in line with the forearm.

"While at your workplace, if you are sitting for most of the day, you should try to get up and walk around every after two hours, try breaking your routine by standing at a terminal with a computer, or sitting at your desk on a physio ball,” Mutabazi explains.

He advises that when you start feeling aches and pains during the day, get up, move around and stretch, exercises and stretches will relieve the pain.

"You should place one hand behind the head, the other hand on the side of the head, gently pull head down towards shoulder, hold for 10 seconds, 10 times; you can also stretch by positioning one hand up, turn your chin towards your armpit and pull in that direction for about 10 seconds,” Mutabazi notes.

Luzindana urges to lie on the back with knees bent, lift hips in the air; maintaining this tip position, slowly lift one leg off the ground and hold it for two seconds, be sure not to allow any movement in the hips, put the foot back on the ground and repeat with the opposite leg. Do this about 20 times, ensuring the hips stay stable for the entire exercise.

Mutabazi says to find a door way and place the forearms along the frame with arms bent at 90 degrees, lean in and hold for 20 seconds, do this five times but when seated in a chair, sit up straight, also, squeeze the shoulder blades back and together.

"You can also do a standing lumbar extension where you place your hands on your buttocks, and lean backwards, hold on for two seconds and repeat 10 times every hour, do squats or wall squats, lean back against the wall, place your feet a couple steps forward, bend your knees sliding your back down the wall or squat while standing making sure that when you squat your knees do not go past your toes, do this for some minutes,” Mutabazi says.

Maintain a curve in the low back by always sitting with buttocks against the back of the chair, knees in line or slightly lower than the hips, chest up, as this will help decrease the weight on the spine, he says.

Luzindana explains that slouching also causes the body to compress and constrict, when in this position, the heart and lungs are forced to work harder to pump blood and circulate oxygen, this causes undue stress on the internal organs and your muscles. Sitting in an upright position with broad shoulders and chest makes it easier to breathe; our posture determines how our bodies are aligned, the way we carry ourselves affects how well our insides work.

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Experts share their views

Poor sitting posture can lead to aching wrists, upper and lower back pain. Sitting for too long can cause gravity, thus making the water in the blood flow down to your legs, hence, causing swelling of the feet, clots and heart problems. Always sit while your feet are on the ground; do not cross your legs for too long as you will strain your knees.

Dr Gabriella Nandi, Physiotherapist

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When you bend your head, it is 10 times more weight put on the shoulders, for every 2.5cm of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by 4.5kg, try to avoid bending your head for long. Both arms should be at rest and balanced at an angle of 90 degrees whenever you are seated and working on the table or while using the computer. Sitting for long can also lower your productivity.

Dr Jean Damascene Gasherebuka, physiotherapist

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Long term effects of poor sitting postures are, back pain (especially in the lower back area), poor digestion, change in spinal curve causing lordosis, scoliosis and kyphosis, cardiovascular issues and varicose veins by changing the alignment of the spine, this change causes problems with blood vessels, and contraction can cut off  blood supply to cells of the muscles.

Dr Celestin Karangwa, physiotherapist

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Sustained sitting posture can affect the musculoskeletal system since there is increased pressure on the inter-vertebral discs in the spine. The joints may become swollen and the cartilage around the ends of the bone start eroding.

Dr Anita Nkusi, a physiotherapist

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