Diagnosed with Spondylolisthesis? Bored of having pain including numb legs and a slow, dull ache, most of the time?
Me too!
I have been living with Spondylolisthesis now since around 2015, and I manage it.
I could have the operation, but the risk of damage to the spinal chord really does put me off that prospect, especially as I used to be a solicitor so I know way too much about surgery going wrong.
So I have spent years learning what makes Spondylolisthesis worse and how to manage it.
One of the things I am acutely aware of is sitting.
Most of the time, I cannot do it for long before the pain is too uncomfortable, so I am constantly shuffling in my seat or changing seats.
However, not all seats are the same, and some are so much better for you if you are living with Spondylolisthesis.
If your Spondylolisthesis is also in the lower back, this should help you.
How To Sit With Spondylolisthesis
The most important thing is the chair, and here are the key factors.
1. The Chair Material To Make Your Spondylolisthesis More Bearable
Solid, hard, wood.
Soft, deep chairs push in on the lower spine and lead to aggravation of your Spondylolisthesis, trust me on that.
I look for a chair with a solid bottom, but there is something else which is really important.
2. The Chair Back
I know what makes my Spondylolisthesis worse: in short it is a chair pushing in on the bottom of my spine.
Therefore, I avoid this.
I look for chairs that have absolutely no lower back to them, which, sadly, isn’t always easy to find.
Funnily enough, the best chair I have found is one in Jeremy Clarksons pub, The Farmers Dog.
I sat there having a very nice lunch when my wife said to me after about an hour “Are you OK?”
I asked her what she meant, and she observed “Well, you have been sitting down and you haven’t been shuffling at all, which never happens.”
I realised she was right.
For the first time in years I had been sitting down without noticing my Spondylolisthesis, what a result!
So, I asked our very kind waiter if he knew where the chairs were from, and he didn’t, but he then asked the Manager of the pub to come over to speak with me, and he gave me the name of the supplier, so I bought one.
I am actually typing this article whilst sitting on it.
Fabulous!
I still can’t sit down for hours and hours on end, but I can sit on it for longer than almost any other chair in the world, so it makes me very, very happy.
Here is a picture of the chair:
If you would like to know where to find these chairs, click here to email me.