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Back Pain When Sitting

Why Sitting Triggers Your Back Pain — And What Actually Fixes It

If your back pain gets worse the longer you sit, this page is for you.

We see this pattern every week at The Back Specialists — active people, professionals, drivers, parents — people who should be able to sit without worrying about their back tightening, aching, or flaring up.

For some, the pain starts within minutes.
For others, it builds slowly through the day.


For many, standing up feels stiff, sore, or unpredictable.

This isn’t a coincidence — and it’s rarely “just posture”.

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Why Sitting Causes Back Pain

Sitting places the lower back in a sustained, loaded position. Over time, that load can irritate certain tissues if your body isn’t coping well with it.

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Common contributors include:

  • Reduced tolerance to sustained sitting positions

  • Sensitivity to flexed or slumped postures

  • Poor endurance or coordination of stabilising muscles

  • Reduced movement variability during the day

  • An overprotective nervous system after previous flare-ups

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The key issue isn’t sitting itself.
It’s how your back responds to sitting.

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Is Back Pain When Sitting a Disc Problem?

Sometimes — but not always.

Sitting can aggravate disc-related sensitivity, particularly if you notice:

  • Pain that increases the longer you sit

  • Pain bending forward or tying shoes

  • Pain that eases when you stand or walk

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However, many people with sitting-related back pain do not have a serious disc injury. Disc bulges and degenerative changes are extremely common on scans — even in people with no pain at all.

What matters most isn’t what shows up on imaging.
It’s how your spine behaves under load and movement.

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Why Common Treatments Often Don’t Work

If you’ve tried physiotherapy, massage, Pilates, stretching, or generic core exercises and you’re still stuck, there’s usually a reason.

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Common problems we see:

  • Treatment focused on pain, not movement behaviour

  • Exercises that weren’t matched to your actual triggers

  • Being told to “sit less” without a realistic plan

  • Fear-based advice that increased tension and guarding

  • No clear progression back to normal sitting tolerance

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Temporary relief without long-term change usually means the real driver of the problem wasn’t identified.

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How The Back Specialists Treat Back Pain When Sitting

We don’t guess. We assess.

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Your Initial Consultation focuses on understanding:

  • How your spine moves and loads during sitting

  • Which positions trigger symptoms — and why

  • Whether the issue is driven by mobility, control, load tolerance, or sensitivity

  • How your nervous system is responding to prolonged postures

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From there, we outline a clear plan, which may include:

  • Targeted movement corrections

  • Specific endurance and control work (not generic “core” exercises)

  • Gradual exposure back to sitting tolerance

  • Education to reduce fear and over-protection

  • A structured return-to-life strategy

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The goal is not perfect posture.
The goal is confidence, capacity, and control.

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Do I Need an MRI If Sitting Hurts My Back?

In most cases, no.

MRI scans are rarely required unless there are red-flag symptoms such as:

  • Progressive leg weakness

  • Loss of bladder or bowel control

  • Severe, constant night pain

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For most people with sitting-related back pain, a thorough movement-based Initial Consultation provides more useful and actionable information than imaging.

If imaging is needed, we’ll tell you — clearly and honestly.

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Who This Approach Is For

This is likely a good fit if:

  • Sitting reliably triggers your back pain

  • Your pain has been recurring or persistent

  • You want to understand why this keeps happening

  • You’re ready for a structured, active solution

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It may not be suitable if:

  • You’re looking for a quick passive fix

  • You’re unwilling to engage in movement-based rehab

  • You expect treatment without personal involvement

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Your Next Step

If sitting is limiting your work, travel, or day-to-day comfort, guessing isn’t the answer.

The next step is a proper Initial Consultation — not more trial-and-error.

👉 Book Your Initial Consultation
Get clarity on what’s driving your back pain and what needs to change to fix it.

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