Back pain when sitting

Lumbar facet joint strain

The small joints in your lower spine could become irritated when prolonged sitting compresses them unevenly. This leads to achy, stiff pain that's worse with prolonged static positions.

Poor sitting posture

Slouching or improper alignment stresses your spine and muscles while seated. This sustained load could lead to aches and stiffness, especially after prolonged sitting.

Piriformis syndrome

The piriformis muscle in your buttock could tighten and press on the sciatic nerve when you sit for too long. This causes deep buttock or leg pain that sitting could worsen.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction

The joint connecting your pelvis to your spine could become inflamed or misaligned, often aggravated by static sitting positions. This causes pain in the lower back or buttocks that's exacerbated by sitting.

Lumbar disc herniation

A damaged disc in your lower back gets squeezed more when you sit. This could press on nerves, causing sharp or dull pain that worsens when you're seated.

Degenerative disc disease

Your spinal discs wear down over time, losing cushioning. Sitting puts extra weight on them, causing them to ache and potentially irritate nerves.

Spinal stenosis compression

Narrowing of the spinal canal could increase pressure on nerves when you sit. This typically causes pain, numbness, or weakness that's relieved by standing or walking.

Ankylosing spondylitis

This inflammatory condition could stiffen your spine, particularly the lower back and hips. Prolonged sitting often leads to increased pain and stiffness as it limits movement.