Desk work is the most common cause of lower back pain we treat. Here is what is actually happening to your spine — and the three changes that make the biggest difference.
If your lower back aches by mid-afternoon and eases the moment you stand up and walk around, you are experiencing one of the most common patterns in modern physiotherapy. It is not a sign that your spine is damaged. It is a sign that it has been held in one position for far too long.
What sitting actually does to your spine
When you sit, particularly with a rounded lower back, the discs at the base of your spine take substantially more pressure than they do when you stand. Hold that for eight hours a day and two things follow: the deep muscles that stabilise your spine switch off from disuse, and your hip flexors gradually shorten, tilting your pelvis and increasing the strain further.
The pain itself usually comes from the muscles and joints protesting the sustained load — not from any structural damage. This matters, because it means the problem is highly reversible.
Three changes that genuinely help
- Move every 30 minutes. This single change outperforms almost every ergonomic gadget on the market. Stand, walk for a minute, and sit back down. The spine is built for variation, not for the perfect posture held indefinitely.
- Raise your screen to eye level. When the screen is low, your head drifts forward, your upper back rounds, and your lower back follows. Correcting the top of the chain fixes a surprising amount lower down.
- Strengthen your glutes and core. Sitting all day leaves both underused. Two or three short sessions a week of bridges, planks and hip work rebuilds the support your spine has been missing.
When to get it assessed
Self-management is appropriate for ordinary desk-related back ache. But if the pain radiates into your leg, you notice numbness, tingling or weakness in your foot, or the pain wakes you at night, book an assessment rather than waiting it out. Those symptoms suggest nerve involvement and need a proper examination.
Most desk-related back pain resolves well with movement and targeted strengthening. The patients who struggle are usually the ones who rested and waited.
This article is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms that persist, worsen, or involve numbness or weakness should be assessed in person. Book an assessment if you are unsure.