Three Chairs for Cheer!

Two pillows and a new desk chair cost significantly less than a lower back MRI.

Explanation: In January of 2007, I had a lower back MRI because of a pain that just wouldn't seem to go away. The doctor saw a slightly bulging disc, which isn't really a red flag, and nothing else. He told me I could do physical therapy, but it probably wouldn't help. So, I just lived with the pain.

Then, several months later, I stumbled upon an article on my favorite weightlifting web site called (De)-Constructing Computer Guy: The Other 23 Hours. It's pretty much about how to work on a computer all day and not destroy your body.


In the article they list 23 tips, many of which were things I was definitely not doing. I was embarrassed when I saw tip number 10 was to "sit all the way back in your chair" and I was sitting on the edge of my chair. So, I adjusted and moved on to tip 11, which said not to "hook your feet under your chair" which also happened to be doing at the time. At that point I started looking around for whoever was playing the joke on me, fully expecting that tip 12 would be to "stop looking around, Jeremy."

All of the tips were good things to know, but the most important tip I took from the article (#5) was to "try sleeping on your side with a body pillow between your knees or on your back with a pillow beneath your knees (to help flatten out your lower back)". I tried it, and a few days later (I'm not very perceptive) I noticed that my back didn't hurt at all. I now swear by the pillows, but over the past few months my back had started to get bad again and I decided my crappy desk chair was responsible.

After a trip to Staples and 30 minutes of assembly and profanity, I now have a new desk chair! My back feels great - I'm doing things I haven't been able to do for months, like spending five hours this weekend bent over, doing garden work in 100 degree heat. Hey, I didn't say I was smart, I just feel better. Three cheers for my new chair!

If only I was smart enough to try this stuff before I dropped $500 for the MRI, huh?