Every few months, a new study pops up about the negative effects sitting can have on our bodies and our health.
One of the latest reports, issued by the American Heart Association, warns that too much sedentary time—at home or at work—increases our risk of heart disease and diabetes.
But what about recliners, those easy chairs that encourage folks to kick their feet up? Don’t they take stress off the back and relieve lower back pain? Doesn’t a recliner simply provide a great way to relax without worry?
Maybe, and maybe not.
So says Bryan Kamps, MD, a Spectrum Health Medical Group orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee and hip replacements.
“It’s kind of a mixed bag,” Dr. Kamps said. “I wouldn’t say that recliners are just bad for everything. There are some things that they’re good for, but you have to use your judgment.”
When it’s good
Recliners are especially helpful for people recovering from surgery, Dr. Kamps said.
A patient who had shoulder surgery, for example, may feel less pain while relaxing in a recliner because the chair keeps the shoulder elevated.
Recliners are also good for people who spend a lot of time on their feet. Excessive standing puts stress on the back.
“If you take some stress off of your back, whether it’s by lying flat or lying in a recliner, that can help relieve some of that back pain,” the doctor said.
But—and this is important—the recliner has to fit you properly.
If your recliner doesn’t support your lower back, the chair could do your body more harm than good. To help your posture, add support by tucking a rolled towel or a small cushion against your lower back, Dr. Kamps said.
If you’re buying a new recliner, pay attention to what you feel at your lower back as you try out the options.
“If there’s nothing there, it’s probably going to make your back pain worse,” he said. “Or if you don’t have back pain, it’s going to give you back pain.”
When it’s bad
Recliners have their benefits, but they’re simply not helpful for people who tend to sit too much.
“A recliner in front of the television with a remote, spending hours a day in it—that is not going to be good for your health, right?” the doctor said. “That’s not the recliner’s fault, though. That’s just overall sedentary lifestyle.”
The recliner’s flaw is that it encourages sitting. And some people just don’t need that kind of encouragement.
What they need instead is to increase their activity level and improve their diet, Dr. Kamps said.
“Over and over again, every day, I tell people, ‘You know, I can do your surgery, but it’s not going to fix the reason that you got this joint pain in the first place,’” he said, alluding to lifestyle choices that affect body mass index and overall health.
Too much sitting is the problem, he said, which remains true no matter what type of chair you’re in.
“Our bodies aren’t designed to just sit,” Dr. Kamps said.
So go ahead, kick back and relax. Just remember that it should be a short and cherished interlude between activities.
I agree that the recliner has to fit you right. It can be a good way to support yourself when sitting, if you use it in good measure. I think it’s important to be sure to try out a few models to see what fits your needs best.
I use to sleep in recliner due to back pain, but my new recliner has caused chronic shoulder pain!
I think years of sitting in mine has not only ruined my shoulders but now I have shooting pain in the biceps. Must be nerve affected. The chair rolls my shoulders forward because not super wide at the top. No neck pain though . Strange. I am going to try acupuncture.
I am an old retired man who lifted weights and blamed my shoulder pain on that. Now not sure.
Please send this information to my niece. You did not have anywhere I could e mail her
Hi Rita – I just sent you an email with a PDF of the article attached as well as the link. You should be able to forward it on to her. Thank you again for being a Health Beat reader! Cheers, Cheryl 🙂
I had back surgery 7 years ago and for the longest time i had lumbar back support everywhere I would sit. I find my upper legs and hips to be a problem now with our reclining couch. Thank you for the reminder to have lumbar support even now. I do force myself to not use the recliner all the time (so easy to kick back recliner).
We all need reminders from time to time, BJ! Hope you’re doing well. 🙂
I have a super oversized recliner.
I have been having back pain and shoulder pain. I bought a firm pillow and it helped a little. Thinking of getting rid of it and getting something that supports my back better.
That may be a good idea, Alma! Those recliners sure are comfortable in the short-term, but they can cause some issues if you sit in them much at all. Best wishes to you!
We bought a couch n loveseat with reclining seats about a year ago. I sit with my feet elevated and it works wonders on my neuropathy and swelling in my lower extremities. However, due to sitting on the right side of the couch only I developed a severe pain in my right shoulder. I didn’t notice that I was leaning against the arm rest causing pressure on my shoulder. I started sitting on different sides of the couch and my right shoulder pain eventually resolved with some exercises. Unfortunately I’m now having problems with my right lower back. I have DJD and had an epidural injection which didn’t help at all. I finally figured it out myself that the darn RECLINER COUCH has caused a lumbar strain. I’ve been taking Advil to help reduce swelling and message therapy has done wonders. The best treatment is STAY OUT of the RECLINER COUCH!!! I now only sit for short periods of time. No more falling asleep in the recliner. Hope this helps someone. 😉
So glad you were able to determine the cause of your lumbar strain and you’re on the mend, Regina! Thank you for sharing your experience. 🙂
I don’t often comment on websites I’m not too familiar with, but I think this might help somebody. I stayed with my dad for a year and a half when he was sick. His couch had recliner features. Every night we would sit and watch tv. I would have a few beers in the fridge and over the course of the night get up to get them. I wouldn’t lower the leg rest that was up at the time. Instead I stepped off with my right leg and twisted off to the right towards the kitchen. Man, my right hip is really bad now; over a year later.
Please watch out for this.
I been sleeping in a rocking chair for the past month and a hald. Due to surgery. Now I have this lump on the back of my neck. It feels like my spinal bone. But I’m not sure. Now I’m scared that something is dislocated or something. My mom’s says it’s inflammation there in my neck. Looks like I became hunch back by my neck over night. Can you help me to understand
Hi Honesty, We recommend you discuss your concerns with your primary care provider and get suggestions from him/her as to how you may improve your posture. They’ll be the best people to help. Best wishes to you!
I tripped over three weeks ago, hit a chair with my left chest on the way down, bruising my left ribs and hurting my right hand. Xrays were negative for any fractures, in spite of some osteoporosis. About a week before that I was sitting outside on concrete moving rocks and twisted to my right as I pushed a big rock, and hurt my left hip. That seemed to resolve without issue. After the fall I was advised to sleep in the recliner to help the rib pain. Now I’m pretty much incapacitated with the hip and leg pain from sleeping in the recliner because of the ribs. I can barely walk on the left leg because it hurts from my left buttocks down the outside of my leg, to the ankle. The leg hurts worse than the ribs. Can’t take narcotics. They make me nauseous and too sleepy. Can’t take Advil anymore because it raised my blood pressure. So it’s aspirin alternating with Tylenol. Plus Skelaxin and heat. I’m trying to get away from the recliner. Was sleeping half the night there and moving to the bed for the last couple of nights. Not sure what else I can do. I’m 68 and my hubby is doing his best to help me. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Hello, Su, and so sorry to hear about your troubles. That sounds awful. We highly recommend you discuss this with your primary care provider, who may be able to offer you the best personalized solutions to get you back to enjoying life. Best wishes to you!