Comparing Muscle Activity and Spine Shape in Various Sitting Positions

Lower back pain is experienced by approximately 70% of the world’s population, contributing to the worldwide burden of disease. Back pain is the largest single factor in the decline in worker productivity with economic cost estimates ranging between $200 to $600 billion per year in the United States. Posture modification appears to be an effective intervention to reduce back pain. In a randomized controlled trial with 579 patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain, Little et al (2008) observed that those who were taught back exercises using the Alexander Technique (a postural modification approach) experienced significant reduction in back pain, and improved quality of life while the massage group reported no benefits (Little et al, 2008). The purpose of this poster is to explore a ‘stacksitting’ position (Gokhale, 2013) that appears to reduce experiences of back discomfort and low back pain.