Back pain is one of the most common causes of disabilities across the world. Furthermore, you don’t just suffer from chronic back pain because of medical issues like arthritis and osteoporosis but also because of improper sleeping position, poor sitting posture, and incorrect bedding and pillows.
This article aims to help you deal with back pain using the best sleeping position and sitting postures with the correct back pillow. In this article, we discuss the best sitting posture for lower back pain, the best sleeping positions to relieve back pain, and we review the best pillow for back pain while sitting and sleeping.
What is the Best Sitting Posture for Lower Back Pain?
Do you suffer from lower back pain when sitting? That’s probably because your current sitting posture doesn’t offer spinal alignment.
Our spines are usually curved into a hollow concave around the lower back. As such, when we sit down, we need to maintain that natural curve.
The following is the best sitting posture for lower back pain:
- Sit on your chair with your feet lying flat on the floor.
- Your legs should form a right angle with your hips.
- Your lower back should be curved inwards into a hollow concave.
- Your neck should be straight on your shoulders.
There are two problem points in this posture — it’s hard to maintain the concave shape of your lower back and it’s hard to keep your neck from lowering. If your chair doesn’t currently have lumbar support and headrest, you can get a separate lumbar pillow and neck roll.
The following are the best lumbar support pillows to help you sit correctly without back pain.
Desk Jockey Cushion — Best Back Support for Office Chair
Desk Jockey Cushion is the best chair back support on the market and can be used while sitting on office chairs or car seats. This is a memory foam pillow that has a convex design so it pushes your lower back forward and maintains the natural curvature of your spine. Furthermore, since it’s made of memory foam, it perfectly adheres to your back’s shape.
ERGO-Pedic Cushion — Best Lumbar Support for Office Chair
ERGO-Pedic Cushion is the best lumbar support for office chair and it helps prevent disc herniation. This pillow helps restore the natural curvature of your back and takes the pressure off your hips. It also comes with a durable nylon strap with which you can secure it to the back of your chair so it remains in place. Furthermore, the lumbar pillow is covered in a mesh fabric for breathability so your back doesn’t overheat or sweat.
LINENSPA Shredded Foam Pillow — Best Back Support Pillow for Reading
LINENSPA Shredded Foam Pillow is the best back support pillow for relaxing or reading. This back support pillow isn’t meant to be placed on an existing chair. Instead, it should be placed on its own as a leaning post for your to recline against while reading or simply watching TV. Furthermore, this pillow is made of CertiPUR-US certified shredded memory foam so you can also adjust its shape and it’s extremely comfortable.
What are the Best Sleeping Positions to Relieve Back Pain?
Do you wake up every morning to experience neck pain and back pain? That’s probably because your current sleeping position doesn’t offer spinal alignment.
When you sleep, your spine should be perfectly aligned. Your neck should be in a neutral position, in line with your spine and hips. If your neck isn’t correctly placed, it can throw your entire back off alignment, thus leading to upper back and neck pain.
The following is a brief overview of the best sleeping positions to relieve back pain:
- Sleep on your back with a medium or high-loft pillow under your neck and perhaps a back support pillow under your lower back.
- Sleep on your side with a high-loft pillow under your head and another posture support pillow between your knees. Your legs should ideally be tucked in close to your chest in the fetal position to expand the space between your vertebrae and minimize the risk of disc herniation.
- Don’t sleep on your stomach at all. If you can’t help but sleep on your stomach, use a low-loft pillow under your head and try sleeping with pillow under stomach.
Now that you understand the best sleeping position to avoid back pain and the accompanying pillow types, the following is a review of the best pillows for back pain.
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest — Best Memory Foam Pillow
Contour Memory Foam Pillow By Elite Rest is the best memory foam pillow for side sleepers and back sleepers. This pillow has contoured sides — the high contour measures 4 inches and the low contour measures 2.75 inches. You can rest your neck on the in-built neck roll for optimal spinal support and alignment. Furthermore, the memory foam material conforms to your body’s shape which, in turn, alleviates the stress off your pressure points.
Elite Rest Slim Sleeper — Best Natural Latex Foam Pillow
Elite Rest Slim Sleeper is the best natural latex foam pillow for stomach sleepers because it has a loft height of only 2.75 inches. This pillow is extremely firm so your head doesn’t sink while sleeping and it has rounded sides for comfort. Furthermore, this pillow can also be placed under your abdomen for back support. It comes with a ventilated pinhole design that facilitates air circulation and keeps you cool. As such, if you’re a stomach sleeper or hot sleeper, this is the best pillow for you.
