But there are alternatives.
First, you can look for good chairs and good car seats. In every case, whether in an office or an automobile, good seats will include an outward curve near the bottom of the seat back. If it is in the right position or if it is adjustable to the right position, this curve will fit into the lordosis, supporting it. Second, if you are stuck with a chair or car seat that looks better than it feels, you can still do something about it. In particular, you can add something to provide the support your lower back needs. For the back, the best device to add is a firm foam rubber lumbar roll.
Certain lumbar rolls are especially effective in helping to avert and treat pain and stiffness in the back. The best design is found not only in the roll’s shape but in the precise density and quality of the foam rubber it contains. The best type of lumbar roll comes with an adjustable strap that fits around the back of most any chair or car seat. Until you can get yourself a lumbar roll, try rolling up a bath towel or beach towel or even using a paper towel roll.
Although the lumbar roll of course fits into the lumbar spine, it helps the cervical spine too. It is the opposite of a pain in the neck: it helps to avoid a pain in the neck. In supporting the lower back, the lumbar support helps straighten the spine. This in turn naturally causes the posture of the neck to improve, so that the neck is more in a straight line with the rest of the spine. As the neck becomes more in line with the spine, the head retracts. The neck itself is therefore in a more healthful position, and it is not straining by supporting a head that is protruding forward.
There are also well-designed rolls for the neck, called cervical rolls. They are smaller than the lumbar roll but also made of a special foam rubber. The cervical roll is designed to provide proper support of the neck when you lie down to rest or sleep.
Remember, by correcting your lower back posture you also begin the correction of your neck posture. Then, when you simply tuck in your chin while keeping your head and eyes level, your head and neck will be in the proper position, and you will be on your way to stopping your pain.
The better the posture of your back, neck, and head, the faster your pain will go away.
