Do standing desks actually help with back pain? Here is what a spine surgeon says

Back pain - exceedingly common and often chronic - sends millions of Americans to doctors every year, many of them making multiple visits in search of relief. Unfortunately, today's conventional sedentary lifestyles, poor posture and inadequate ergonomic desk set-ups are major contributors to numerous back and neck problems.

Standing desks are among the latest innovations designed to promote improved health and are marketed to help alleviate back pain, but are they really beneficial?

Endeavor Health spine surgeon Dustin H. Massel, MD, answers this common patient question, breaking down the potential pros and cons of using a standing desk.

While there is no substantial literature or ergonomic evidence to support many of the claims from standing desk advocates, Dr. Massel believes that the more people can move and take breaks from long stretches of sitting or standing, the better their chances of reinforcing good posture and reducing risks of back pain.

Move more and disrupt sedentary lifestyle

"A majority of issues we see can be tied to our sedentary lifestyles. People sitting for too long tend to slouch or hunch forward," said Dr. Massel. "Our technology leads to us all bending forward too much over our phones or looking down at our computers leading to a flexed forward neck posture, commonly referred to as tech or text neck, and abnormal stress on our necks and lower backs."

Many standing desks offer the feature of moving up and down, allowing people to switch between standing and sitting and that variety in movement is a positive, said Dr. Massel.

"Ideally, altering your position regularly, changing your posture every 30 minutes to an hour helps you mobilize, engage your core, and avoid the static stress on your neck and back," he added. A two to one cycle of 30 minutes sitting followed by an hour of standing can be helpful for some people.

How to set up an ergonomic desk for better posture

"When patients ask me 'what desk should I use?' I remind them it's important to listen to their own body as most of what we know is anecdotal and not based off research or published literature," said Dr. Massel. Reinforcing good ergonomic posture is important with seated desks; screens at eye level, arm rests at bent elbow height, lumbar support that supports your native spinal architecture.

"You want your body and your muscles to support you, not the chair," said Dr. Massel. Regular movement and core engagement can benefit spinal strength and back comfort as well as help maintain overall wellness and longevity. Good posture and proper alignment help support a normal lordotic curve, the natural inward curve of the spine.

When standing desks might actually make your pain worse

While there are people who may embrace working at a standing desk for hours, there are others with conditions like spinal stenosis who may feel worse after standing for long stretches, cautioned Dr. Massel.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all desk. Understanding your body and the positions that you find most comfortable is important, and creating an ergonomic environment now will hopefully provide you with reduced neck and low back stress and less discomfort or pain in the future.

Dr. Massel sees patients at Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital ACC and Endeavor Health Skokie Hospital Orthopaedic and Spine Institute locations.