Back pain is a widespread disease: According to a survey by the Robert Koch Institute, 61.3 percent of those surveyed said they had suffered from back pain in the last twelve months. There can be many reasons for this: not moving enough, sitting or staying in one position for too long, or even the wrong chair.
The latter is currently tormenting workers in the home office. If the employer in the office is responsible for a safe workplace and adequate work materials in the form of back-friendly office chairs, quite a few people work from kitchen or dining room chairs. One thing in advance: These chairs are not suitable for sitting for long periods of time and a lumbar cushion will no longer help here.
The cushion is much more useful for making seating that is already designed for long periods of sitting a little more back-friendly. A classic example would be the car seat or an office chair that does not yet offer a lumbar support function. The lumbar cushions relieve the lower part of the back, specifically the five lumbar vertebrae that are located above the sacrum.
A support pillow for the lumbar spine should ideally meet several criteria. Logical: A washable cover is always an advantage. When it comes to the filling, it depends on how you sit. Memory foam conforms to your back, cold foam is usually cheaper but less supple. A mounting device in the form of belts is not wrong for comfortable sitting. It should be there in the car in particular so that the cushion does not slip uncomfortably while driving.
A lumbar support pillow that meets almost all of these criteria is the Feagar brand model. According to the manufacturer, the filling of the pillow adapts to your lower back. Unfortunately, it is only suitable for the office or kitchen chair. You should use a different model for the car seat. You can remove the cover and clean it in your washing machine at home. The memory foam is of course not washable. The cushion stays in place on the chair using tensioning straps with click fasteners.
The Supa Modern brand lumbar pillow is slightly larger. Thanks to the memory foam filling, it should adapt to the back of the person sitting. Unfortunately, the cover cannot be removed. According to the manufacturer, it is made of suede material and is less suitable for the washing machine. Special massage points make the pillow particularly interesting. The manufacturer promises that these can stimulate certain acupoints in the back, which should increase seating comfort. Tension belts on this pillow also provide the necessary support if required. It is equally suitable for office chairs and car seats.
A – in the truest sense of the word – harder gait offers the lumbar support. It is not a pillow, but a support with a mesh structure. Compared to the classic lordosis cushion, the support offers advantages, especially on warm days, because its structure makes it much more breathable. However, the support net does not adapt so well to the shape of the back of the person sitting. This lordosis support is also held in place on the chair with a tension belt. Nice: This model also offers massage beads, which according to the manufacturer are intended to underpin a pleasant feeling of support in the lumbar area.
A somewhat unusual lumbar pillow is the model from Tusscle. Compared to the lumbar supports presented so far, it offers two parts where you can detach the cover and clean it in the washing machine. The top part of the pillow can be detached as needed. Attach the cushion to the seat with a tension belt. Secure the cushion with tension belts. The filling is memory foam, which the manufacturer says molds to your back. According to the manufacturer, the model is equally suitable for car seats and office chairs.
Buy from Otto: Elegear chair cushions
The chair cushion from Elegear uses neither a mesh structure nor memory foam. The manufacturer prefers to use air. Inflate the pillow with a button on the side. It reaches its full size in a maximum of 50 seconds. If the air cushion is too big for you, you can let air escape via a valve on the side. According to the manufacturer, the cushion is suitable for car seats and office chairs. A strap on the back provides the necessary support. Compared to foam cushions, the air cushion offers the advantage that it does not dent after prolonged use and may lose support for the lumbar area.
Buy from Otto: lumbar pillow Nancy
A simple and sober model is the Nancy lumbar pillow from Aspero. Again, a tension belt on the back provides the necessary support for the pillow. You can remove the cover from the pillow and clean it in the washing machine. Aspero is back to memory foam, which according to the manufacturer adapts to the back and still has a supportive effect.
Of course, a lordosis pillow is not a panacea for back problems. It can only help prevent back pain. If the pain persists, only going to the doctor can help. So that it doesn’t get that far in the first place, you should get enough exercise and, if necessary, lose excess weight. The heavier a body is, the more muscles and vertebrae have to withstand.
It is also recommended not to stay in one position for more than 30 minutes. Here, for example, smartwatches or fitness trackers help to remind you to get up and take a deep breath from time to time. In the sitting position, it is important to straighten the pelvis by tensing the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Also, consciously support yourself with your arms.
If you need to lift heavy objects, it’s best to do it from a crouch and not from your back. It is important to keep your back straight and pull in your stomach a little. According to “Apotheken Umschau”, drawing in the stomach strengthens the transversus muscle, which helps to hold the lumbar spine in place, among other things. If you are lifting heavy objects, it is also advisable to lift them close to your body.
Sources: Apotheken-Umschau.de, rki.de
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