After all this time my back has gone kaput, i have studied everything and cannot get a chair that is comfy, beware everyone when your back goes it goes, like a sharp piece of glass in your back, doctors says its my posture over time then muscles weaken. So reading up on all last night, quite a few people say get a cheap swivel backless chair and over time it builds your back up as you consciously sit up straight and it strengthens your back. anyone help. Steve

I can't help, but any replies you get will interest me greatly, having had a bad back for years. In my case it was caused by years of driving, frequently in badly shaped seats. In a company vehicle, you're stuck with what you get!

I've not heard about the backless chair idea although my wife, who also suffers, has one of these kneeling chairs at work and that has no backrest by design. She had to buy it herself, somehow health and safety conveniently doesn't seem to cover seating position, at least it didn't when I complained to my company.

Now retired, I spend hours in front of a monitor, much of the time editing, so let's hope the folks here have some good ideas.

Dave

Hi Dave i have just had a word with my cousin Alan Bleasdale in Liverpool, he has been editing films for years and he has put me onto a chiropractor who has just told me to bin my comfy chair and get a cheap backless swivel chair, he said it trains you to not slouch and makes your back stronger. For the past two hours editing with my new cheapo £20 chair i feel better already!!! steve

Thanks Steve.

I have an alternative small swivel chair with a reclining back, so I have just put the principle into operation by reclining the back fully, it drops far enough to make it impossible to lean on and work. So let's see!

Perhaps we should compare notes around Christmas time.:-)

Dave

...doctors says its my posture over time then muscles weaken.

Yeah, well, doctors don't tend to know much about body mechanics (or nutrition, prevention, etc.). What they are taught is that anything important can be treated with drugs, or surgery. Too bad that's not at all true.

20 years ago doctors (as in, more than one) told me that the only thing they could do for my back was surgery. They wanted (really, really badly they wanted) to fuse vertebrae. Meh.

I found a good physical therapist (PT) who knew quite a bit about body mechanics. She was able to tell me what was actually wrong with my back, and what I could do to correct it. Turns out, she was right and the doctors were way wrong. She gave me a list of stretches to do, a couple of which were a real PITA (better there than the lower back ;-). It took time and patience, but my back is still fine today and I've never had surgery.

My experience (which of course may not apply in any way to your situation) has taught me that I only go to doctors as a last resort. For anything that's about joints or muscles, I always go to the PT first.

As to the chair thing, first thing you should know is that nothing is quite as bad for you as sitting. If things are so bad that you're looking at alternatives to chairs, the first thing to do is stand up. It's not as easy as I make it sound; it'll take weeks before you get used to working standing up -- a good standing mat is very helpful (hint: look at industrial supply stores for "real" standing mats that actually work). But it's certainly doable; I've been there and done that.

If you really want a chair, look at the Herman Miller chairs, especially the Aeron. I bought one when they first came out and I'm sitting in it right now while I type this posting. I've tried many dozens of chairs, the Aeron was twice the chair of any of the others. My knowledge of chairs is of course 20 years old now, as I've never felt a need for another chair since I bought this one. And this one is showing no signs of wear. Not at all. It'll probably outlast me.

Cool Bruce, if it works for you then great but i will carry on for a while with this new method see what Happens Dave.

I must admit as one who always likes to lean on the bar in a pub as opposed to sitting down, editing while standing sounds good.

On the other hand I doubt that the "Hesketh Arms" will take too kindly to my turning up every night (well nearly every) complete with iMac, hard drives and monitor.

Zillions of people sit at work stations every day. In the dim and distant past I was one of them and can recollect advice from H.R. (Personnel) department about getting up and walking around from time to time.
So I walked to the boozer at lunchtime, "White Hart" at the end of Drury Lane which highly recommended.

Ron

Steve I know this is an older post but I have had similar issues. I revamped my office/editing workstation and found great luck with the following Ikea swivel chair. Lovin it.

FLINTAN / NOMINELL Swivel chair with armrests - black - IKEA (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19122450/)

Have a look at a "Gregory chair" for editing in. Designed by a physio and the manufacturing company has been around since the 1990s.

This is the chair that I aspire to buy, and probably will once I finish buying other 'really important' video gear. :-)

Not cheap, but very very good. I've sat in one and am very impressed. Really should have bought one years ago. They've got firmer foam etc where it is needed to stop you slipping forward and developing bad posture.

See Ergonomic Office Chairs, Commercial Furniture, Sydney | Gregory (http://www.gcfau.com.au/)

Andrew

Popular trend now are desktop that can be raised allowing you to alternate between sitting and standing.

I think you’re right, Pete. Read an article yesterday on the BBC web site about how sitting a lot can shorten one’s lifespan. Did a search just now using “sitting bad for life expectancy” to try and find the article, didn’t find it but found a whole slew of other articles going back to early last year on this subject.

Last year I was talking to a friend who works at a software development company and their office is using the desks like you mentioned. Next time I see him I’ll have to find out what they use for desks, sitting arrangements, and how it is working.

I have thought about this myself but haven’t taken any action. Maybe this search is the kick-start I needed.

John,

I posted in another thread about how I was having back problems (I'm 43, fwiw). I think it wasn't so much from shooting weddings (carry 2 camera bags & tripods around), tho it partially was. But I discovered it was moreso from the editing time. My previous desk was regimented and quite constrained. So much so this summer I picked up some Advil, back rub/muscle relaxer cream, a heating pad, and a chair cover massager from my parents loaned to me. Was mixing and using them all and had aching back, neck & hand issues.

I was shopping at Ikea, and while I wasn't looking for one at the time, and this was more than I was looking to spend, I became sold on the idea. I came back a few days later and picked this up: BEKANT Desk sit/stand - birch veneer/white - IKEA (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99022526/#/S59022528)

Loading it into my little Hyundai did a number on my back lol, but putting it together wasn't all that bad (the motor & legs were one piece). It's been great, only had it about 2 months now, but no regrets. None. Even better than standing is the ability to set the height the exact height your body/hands prefer while sitting. I was looking at a few other desks briefly but really glad I went with this. As for length of motor life I'm not too concerned (knock wood), I've found after a while I don't raise/lower it all that much, although I'm sure it'll be a great feature to have.

Picked up this chair as well, it's great: FLINTAN / NOMINELL Swivel chair with armrests - black - IKEA (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19122450/#/S69122481)

I posted in another thread about how I was having back problems (I'm 43, fwiw). I think it wasn't so much from shooting weddings (carry 2 camera bags & tripods around), tho it partially was. But I discovered it was moreso from the editing time. [/url]
More so from the editing time? Now that’s a surprise! Well, in a way, actually not. I can believe it.

By the way, this is an aside: Several years ago I was seeing a Physical Therapist for an old shoulder injury and there was a young girl (~middle school or early high school age) in there for therapy. She was being seen for some kind of spine or ~something problem from carrying a back pack with school books. The schools are really loading the kids down with thick books now so this is an unintended consequence. Also, lots of pictures and wide white margins really bulk up the book weight.

I was shopping at Ikea, and while I wasn't looking for one at the time, and this was more than I was looking to spend, I became sold on the idea. I came back a few days later and picked this up: BEKANT Desk sit/stand - birch veneer/white - IKEA (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99022526/#/S59022528)
I agree with the cost thing, looking at it for the first time it would seem a bit much. Actually, quite a bit much! So how did it come to pass that you pulled the trigger and got it? Doctor/therapist recommendation? Internet research? Point of sale literature? Ikea saleslady? (Okay, my bad)

My current desk is the typical 6-tooter and it has a file cabinet and three drawers so I’d hate to loose the storage. Normally Ikea does stuff in a modular manner so it’d be nice if they had some under table storage options.

Picked up this chair as well, it's great: FLINTAN / NOMINELL Swivel chair with armrests - black - IKEA (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19122450/#/S69122481)
Looks like it’d be a good one.

As time goes on I’m finding that it’s amazing how many skeletal joint problems there are. Last week a friend of my wife had her arm come out of it’s socket. She was swimming with a kick board and it slipped away so she reached out to get it. That is the third shoulder joint problem like this I’ve heard of recently.

Physical Therapists want you to do everything equally on both sides of your body. When I was doing therapy for my right shoulder I had to do the same thing for the left shoulder even though there was nothing wrong with it. So, I can see where lugging bags of kit unequally could cause a problem. It’s almost like giving yourself bad therapy.

Thanks for the feedback and I’m going to work on it.

I agree with the cost thing, looking at it for the first time it would seem a bit much. Actually, quite a bit much! So how did it come to pass that you pulled the trigger and got it? Doctor/therapist recommendation? Internet research? Point of sale literature? Ikea saleslady? (Okay, my bad)

It just caught my eye and I had a revelation. I wasn't really too willing to go the sit/stand route when looking. I'm typically a cheapskate but with work, weddings, and some side stuff I'm at a good place right now, and my video gear is pretty up to date I shouldn't need to upgrade for a while. I was looking at this one a bit but looking back on it, it was silly: FREDDE Computer work station - IKEA (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50219044/) Sorta like my old one, very regimented. This goes here, this goes there, you sit here, speakers there etc.

The second reason was this: this summer I picked up some Advil, back rub/muscle relaxer cream, a heating pad, and a chair cover massager from my parents loaned to me. Was mixing and using them all and had aching back, neck & hand issues.


Too often I made wrong decisions like this by cheaping out. Just glad this one worked out for me, kinda like when you buy a great used car that lasts. It really reinvented my body & my home office. I dig it.

The most comfortable chair I had, still have but it is in severe need of a rebuild. It came off the rubbish tip at Wickham in the north west of Western Australia.

It had been the property of Bechtel Pacific Corporation. It is an office chair of the 1971 vintage, with arm rests, rolling on old-school everlasting metal Shepherds castors with a steel channel frame and fabric covered cushions.

The back is low. It has a spring-loaded tilt-back arrangement of the entire chair. I had this ridiculous vision of the thing catapulting my carcass out of a window one day but it did not happen.

There was a cracked weld in the pivot, one which did not affect the structural integrity of the chair but which did make it squeal like a a stuck pig, something it still does as I never got around to pulling it all apart to re-weld the offending part. My guess this is why it got thrown out.

Like an old comfortable jacket, the thing is disgusting to behold. The two armrest cushions fell to pieces and were replaced by two from another broken chair.

There are remnant odours of diesel oil, red Pilbara dust, perished cushion foam and human sweat. Up north, people sweat, - a lot. One of these days I may get the thing recovered and fix that cracked steel part.


I think the comfort may have come from the backrest not being shoulder high.

I bought an office chair from a local supermarket chain. I leaned on the backrest and the thing flew apart, dumped me on the floor and cracked my head on a wooden cupboard behind me.

I think I set the world record for how far a broken chair can be thrown across a back yard that day and went back to using the old office chair.

Just thought i would post a update on my back problem after 10 years editing. I have now got the cheapest 15 pound swivel chair with no back which has made me sit up straight, yes sometimes i slouch then all of a sudden you remember again there is no back to lean back and then you sit up straight again. My physio cannot believe how much improved i am. From terrible pain and bad back i am now strong pain free and have started running again. So it may not be for everyone but i did study lots of feedback from editors who swear by the method of a chair without back rest. There you go.

Having had a recurring back problem for years, I have specific exercises that I do daily and that's the key to success as far as I'm concerned. A lot of the exercises involve lying on my back with my eyes closed, so this has the added benefit that I can relax my eyes and brain for 30 minutes or so an this is a great break from editing.

The other thing I do is have the laptop I use for going on-line is set away from my editing computer and if I'm editing, I don't have a chair. This gets me on my feet and also discourages me from spending too much time on-line.

I think I might have a word with my excellent physiotherapist about us making an exercise video for editors.

Nice one Ray