Herman Miller aeron

This was my first thought too. I also have back issues and I’m in my mid-50s. I converted my setup to standing years ago after I had a ruptured disc and it’s by far the best way for me to work.

It takes some getting used to, your legs will tire after a few hours at first, but you will adjust.

Just MAKE SURE you get a good dense foam pad to stand on. It is the only way to make extended standing work.

Try a table that’s about 40 inches in height with adjustable stool.

Definitely for synthesists- L shaped standing desk and the ALL33 chair

I’ve been playing with a similar set up after back surgery and reaching for those high-up instruments is NOT good for my back.

I’m younger bet the way these devices are places gives me lower back and neck pain at the same time

None of the 3 levels are at a comfy heigh,

you need to hunch and look down to play the bottom keys,

keep your hands awkwardly in the air like you’re riding a chopper for the mid layer

And I have no idea how you use the mpc without standing up.

Idk about you but I’m almost lying down on the table when I’m making stuff, I couldn’t vibe out with your setup

I built a standing setup for my Dawless jams and realized pretty quickly how hard it was to get into the groove when you're sitting down. The absolute best position for your back is standing up and moving around. Just get something soft to stand on

Was going to say, if standing is at all an option, that is likely to be better for your back (and if you sit for other activities, as most of us do, this means it's one less thing you are sitting for).

this rack isn’t convenient for any chair tbh.

I have back problems too and I spent a lot of money on a Herman Miller Aeron chair about 10 years ago. It's not perfect for playing keys, because I'm sitting forward and away from the back rest when I do that, but it has changed my life when working on my computer, especially now that I work from home and spend most of my day on it.

I recently got a Herman Miller Aeron. It's solved a lot of back issues I was having with my $200 Staples chair. Just make sure you try before you buy, this is not a cheap chair. I got mine used but it was still ~700 CAD. I would also suggest in addition to this that you work on a better ergonomic setup if you don't have one already. Possibly looking into a stand/sit desk, foot rest, monitor stands. I've been working from home since March 2020 because of COVID. I have a Steelcase Leap v2 at work but the Aeron is much more comfortable for me.

I also dropped $500 on a secretlab chair specifically for back pain and it has made a difference

Study in Denmark - whole office was fitted out ergonomically for each individual - chairs desks, keyboard. Led to an increase in back and neck complaints. removed everything and gave everyone dumbbells , every hour an alarm would go off and everyone stood up waved dumb bells about for 5 minutes. Reduced issues enormously!

Its not the chair its taking breaks and moving/exercising that will help. Obviously a bad chair will not help but exercising will.

Also i have a bad back for 30+ years (double herniated disc, whiplash etc) and best thing I did was specific exercises for my back following a bad whiplash accident and things have been okay or 100% better than before, i.e. no slipped discs, no sciatica.

OP if you go this way, which I do think can be a good solution depending on the nature of your back problems, make sure you've got a good pad to stand on. It should be firm enough that your postural muscles aren't having to constantly work to keep you balanced, but soft enough to cushion. Also structured shoes that properly support your feet are important.

Aight, I have researched the ever loving crap out of this and the conclusion I came to is that the big names are as follows:

1. Herman Miller
2. Steelcase
3. Humanscale

These guys make serious business chairs you can sit in for hours and hours. Hyper adjustable, very ergonomically correct.

Unfortunately they'll run you $700+ new. And of course ... chairs are so personal that you might find your specific back doesn't like them anyway. So you have to try stuff out. But all the big corporates with deep pockets buy these for a reason. They're also kind of hard to buy because you won't find them at an office supply store. You might have to buy direct from an office furniture supplier.

You might also want to look into how ergo your actual workstation is. Monitor and desk at the correct height? Posture neutral while seated? All of that stuff feeds into the possibility for repetitive stress injuries that'll make your bad back worse if you don't get it sorted.

Second the Steelcase Leap, I have one and use it for 10 hours a day, over the last 5 years, and it hasn't given me any back issues at all!

You need to find a local office supply store that stocks the BIFL brands like Herman Miller, Steelcase, Knoll and Humanscale and sit in the various chairs yourself. YOU are the one to answer this question, not the internet as there are 8,934 different types of back issues and 100+ BIFL office chairs and no one can tell you which one will be lovely or terrible for you. Find a store. Sit in every ding dong chair even if its holy shit yellow or covered in leather that you hate.....after a bit, you'll know which Maker/Line of chair should work best for you.

Herman Miller, Aeron or mirra are personal favorites. Like sitting on a cloud

maybe look into zero gravity chairs.

these are a bit expensive though

I have bad lower back and all at work with mesh Herman miller chairs hate them. The mesh flexes and doesn’t support your lower back or tailbone. If not a bad lower back then great.

I have serious spinal problems and switching to a standing desk was life changing for me. I have an uppy-downy desk so I can smoothly switch positions and a tall leaning stool for times when I'm standing for extended periods - I can lean against it without having to sit down and put pressure on my spine. It may be worth investigating if that's a good fix for you. (Pro-tip: get a memory foam mat to stand on - so much easier on the feet.)

I went to a showroom and sat in them. I didn't like their newer chair but liked the Aeron and mirra. I went with the Aeron because it had more customizations on arms and tilt. It's built to last forever and has a 12 year warranty. You can find them used too but I figured I sit for a living, might as well get new.

Their website has listings for local show rooms so you can find a local dealer.

I have the V2 and I love it - great chair

Again....a YOU question. I have a BIFL chair. I have not mentioned the brand, line, options or settings as they will steer you wrong. You need to take your ass to a showroom and do the work. I bought mine in the heat of covid so I bought using my eyes and brain and from a vendor with a bitchin return policy. Get in the car and put in the work.

Herman miller embody hands down a heaven for my butt n back.

you'd want to buy a bar and some plates and then some time doing deadlifts and squats.

I have a SOLID Neelkamal which I've been using since the last 4 years(since COVID). Touchwood, no back issues yet. But I lift 6 times/week inc. pull up/squats/deadlift.

Suryanamaskar

Featherlite Helix HB

Got it for ~21k in 2020. One of the best investments till date 👌

A new chair is great, but the best thing to do is likely some strengthening exercises for your glutes and low back. Most of us neglect exercise and physical health because we're so busy. A new chair can't make up for that.

Fellow lawyer with bulging discs in the L-4/5 region and sciatica problems. I got something like this a few years ago. Exact same except it's all black. Looks a little more professional. When I have a bad flare up I use a heating pad.

I love my aeron so much. With how many hours a day we sit in the chairs, it's not a splurge, it's an investment in your back.

Secret Labs. I don't know how it is for lower back pain specifically but it's a great chair. Has really helped with my posture.

Have you considered a stand/sit desk? I only sit about 1/3 of the day and it makes a huge difference for my low back and hips.

Not what you're going to want to hear, but your problem isn't the chair you're sitting in, it's sitting itself. Yes, a chair built for ergonomics won't hurt, but it won't correct the underlying issue and it won't prevent issues going forward.

I've tried all the top chairs, Aeron, Embody, Steelcase Leap v2, Gesture, et cetera. None of them helped. Know what helped my bad back and made it go away for good? Physical therapy. Know what keeps it from coming back? Not sitting as long or as often. Switching between sitting and standing. Strengthening my back with rucking / exercise / building core strength. Strengthening the hips and loosening them up. Stretching.

It's going to take work but the sooner you start the better.

As a former web developer, I've done the standing desk. I didn't love or hate it. I liked being able to mix it up so I had an adjustable desk. As far as chair brands go, Ergohuman by Raynor is top notch. My husband got one almost 10 years ago as a paralegal who never left the desk and it's still perfect today. He had back pain with his previous chairs and the Ergo was the solution.

Give this video a try, everyday. I have/had chronic back pain over the past two or so years and I started it about a month ago. It’s helped tremendously.

https://youtu.be/4BOTvaRaDjI

Also, Aeron and embody are both good. Owned both, and with Herman Miller, you can trial them for 30 days.

I love my Steelcase Leap chair. I lost a lot of weight lately but it supported my heavy body as well as my lighter one. When choosing between the Steelcase and Herman Miller options, I read a lot of reviews. I do not regret my choice.

A year later and it is still an amazing piece of furniture that I can't live without.

No one can answer here, because every back pain case is dealt with in a different way from other cases. The general rule is don't do any exercise that makes you feel uncomfortable or painful.

https://youtu.be/_lfR4sl0ZCE

This workout was a life saver for me. I do it at least 4 times a week after my usual full body strength training. Follow it up with bird dogs and glute bridges each time as well.

planks

1. Supine abdominal bracing / posterior pelvic tilting
2. Supine 90/90 marching
3. Supine contralateral deadbugs
4. theraband paloff press

All of these exercises require core engagement WITHOUT spinal flexion, extension, or rotation

Yoga. 30 minutes every day keeps the surgeon away.

I'm also a huge fan of strength training (squats, deadlifts, bench, overhead press). Strongman type lifts such as picking up and carrying sandbags.

Now I know the strength training bit is probably controversial. Putting a barbell on your back...or picking up something heavy with a bad back seems stupid. When I was in constant pain I started with very light dumbbells. Just basic strengthening movements combined with yoga. Stuff that I felt I could manage. I found that the more I moved and extended my range of movement, the better I felt. Honestly what I was doing was probably what you'd see in PT.

As I got better (less constant pain) and stronger, I could start doing more with a barbell. And it just grew from there.

Now keep in mind this has been a 7 year journey for me. It wasn't overnight. But I can now squat 2x my bodyweight and deadlift 2.5x my bodyweight. I'm always super aware of my body and injury prevention is my most important priority. I might test myself with a heavy lift...but I'm always keeping a little in the tank with good form.

Now at some point I might stop with the heavy lifts...and go towards lighter, higher reps. But the fact that I'm 46, basically have a collapsed, utterly garbage L4-L5 disc but can train the way I do with heavy weights should be of some hope.

But yeah...with squats / deadlifts it targets your posterior chain and core. Essentially everything you need to compensate for a crappy back. So my advice is to not be afraid of a little strength training. For me, it's given me my life back.

I switched to a Steelcase Leap a couple years ago when my lower back felt like it was grinding into bone after long workdays.

I swapped to the Steelcase Gesture a few months back and my lower back hasn’t complained since.

I switched to the Herman Miller Mirra 2 after my lower back started barking at me during ten-hour workdays and it’s been a night-and-day difference.

I had constant lower-back ache until I swapped to a Steelcase Leap V2 and dialed in the lumbar tension with its little knob.

I switched to a Herman Miller Embody after my lower back started barking at me mid-afternoon, and it’s been a lifesaver.

brother, no chair is going to fix your backpain if you sit in it all day everyday.

getup and walk about, and stretch your hamstrings.

Herman Miller Aeron. Best investment I have made to my office.

Get up and move around!

I've had lots of back pain and have finally discovered that the only cure is movement. Walk at least 30 minutes every day. If I skip a few days, the pain returns and often spirals out of control.

Ergonomics is fine, make sure you aren't making things worse. But movement is key!

Edit: I should have mentioned, standing desks are bogus and don't count as a brisk walk.

Edit2: see a doctor about your pain. I am not qualified to give medical advice!

I know people recommend the Aeron, but I really love the Steelcase Leap Chair. I've used one for the last 13+ years and I don't think I could do another chair.

Oh, I agree that one should see a doctor as I did. It just took a while for me to truly commit to following the PT advice and take it to heart. I had no idea that sitting in front of a keyboard could be so detrimental

Also — switching it up helps a lot — I move from fancy chair to standing desk mode and then back to fancy chair every time I start to feel it in my back.