Remember when Grandma would nudge you to sit up straight? Turns out she was on to something. Sitting for long periods – for example, at your desk – can stress your lower back and cause pain and even injury.

“When people sit at a desk all day, they tend to slouch,” says Pam DiGiovanna, a physical therapist at Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Services at Murrells Inlet. “Poor sitting posture for long periods can cause the disks and vertebrae in the lumbar region of our spine to shift backward into the sensitive nerves, causing back pain.”

Prolonged poor posture can result in lumbar spine injury and cause further problems with back muscle strength, stability and flexibility.

DiGiovanna recommends doing simple stretching exercises to relieve the stress on the lower back during long periods of sitting.

“The standing backward bend can help compensate for slouching postures that are common in desk work,” DiGiovanna says. “Simply stand flat-footed, place both hands on your lower back and stretch backward, looking at the ceiling.”

DiGiovanna recommends also laying flat on your stomach and propping up on your elbows for a few minutes every day. This exercise works to stretch the upper part of the back and neck.

Another easy exercise you can do at your desk is a forward bend. Sitting in your chair, simply bend forward at the waist and place your hands around the outside of your ankles and gently pull. This exercise stretches the stressed musculature of your back.

Staying mindful about posture throughout the workday can help keep your back healthy.

Try to maintain the natural curves of your spine – sit as far back in your chair as you can, keep both feet flat on the floor with hips and knees level and hold your chin parallel to the floor. Keep your shoulders relaxed and be aware of the curve in your lower back. Use lumbar support to maintain that curve if needed.

If stretching exercises make back pain worse, or you have pain radiating down the backs of your legs, trouble with normal movement due to back pain or tingling in your extremities, reach out to your health care provider.