Dr. Alvin Philipose DC/ Charnelle Dean APRN
Too much sitting can harm your nerves just as much as smoking does. Think about how long you sit for an entire day. Your day job is perhaps making you spend 8-12 hours on a chair with very minimal breaks. And at home, you probably spend your rest time being a couch potato and just watching your favorite television show all night.
This is now what modern society looks like. Unfortunately, many people experience pinched nerve problems more than ever because of a sedentary lifestyle. Health issues caused by sitting make people turn to remedies such as visiting a chiropractor to relieve a pinched nerve in Oklahoma City. To better understand why sitting for too long is not recommended, be sure to read this blog until the end.
Table of Contents
Sitting may make you feel relaxed after a very tiring day, but it can also be a silent nerve killer. Here are some ways sitting can cause severe damage to your nerves.
A pinched nerve happens when surrounding tissues on your body compress a nerve. This condition causes numbness, pain, and tingling in the affected part of the body. Anything that increases pressure around your nerve can cause this condition to develop.
However, one of the most overlooked causes of pinched nerves is prolonged sitting. You would not feel this effect in one sitting because a pinched nerve develops slowly. You may feel pinched nerves in various areas of your body depending on how you’re sitting and your posture. You may visit a chiropractor to relieve a pinched nerve in Oklahoma City.
Your body’s circulatory system is the one responsible for sending vital components (oxygen, blood, and nutrients) throughout your body. Various things can cause poor circulation, one of which is prolonged sitting, especially for overweight people.
Poor circulation affects blood flow. When this happens, your nerves may be deprived of the essential components it needs to function fully. In addition, reduced blood flow can cause tingling, numbness, pain—symptoms of pinched nerves.
One of the worst things that prolonged sitting can cause is the weakening of muscles in the body. Muscle deterioration is a symptom of nerve damage. This results from the shrinking of the vital muscles due to sitting. Having weak muscles can potentially lead to injuries and stabilization problems, especially when walking or standing.
Unbroken periods of sitting can increase your blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, high blood sugar levels can result in nerve damage and nerve pain. This problem causes the nerves to stop sending important messages to various body parts, which causes one to experience numbness. These health issues will make it hard for you to perform daily activities without feeling any discomfort.
A sedentary lifestyle such as lack of exercise and extended hours of sitting can increase blood pressure. High blood pressure is dangerous for people with existing heart disease. In addition, this problem can also cause significant damage to the nerves. Over time, unregulated high blood pressure may increase your risk of stroke or heart failure.
To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and pinched nerves, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.