Growing up, I remember my parents sitting in front of the television set in their big faux leather Lazy Boy recliners. They would lean back and the foot supports would rise as they sank into their chairs dreamy soft cushiness. Usually, after about twenty minutes, they would be asleep and when they finally trudged off to bed, it would usually be with aching backs. Another chair related “injury!”
The Lazy Boy
We now know that sinking into a soft chair or sofa generates a great deal of mechanical stress on the spine and all of the soft tissue structures that stabilize and support it. This translates to sore muscles, ligaments and discs and also depletes our energy which leads to an inability to concentrate, and exhaustion; so we fall asleep and wake up in pain from our “comfortable” Lazy Boys!
If we shift our definition of comfort from an initial, superficial relaxation to one of physical support, then chair design takes on a different look.
Enter the HAG Capisco.
The Capisco
When I initially saw this chair I thought, “No way can this be comfortable.” That is, until I sat in it.
I did not sink in like I would into a plush “executive chair.” Strangely, it was the opposite. When I sat down, I was thrust skyward by the firm lumbar support, which made it impossible for me to slouch. This posture was reinforced by the cutouts on the (seat) pan which enabled my hips to be angled at approximately 110 degrees rather than the right angles that most other chairs impose.
If a chairs design forces our spines to a “C-curve”—which happens with poor low back support—the negative mechanical forces that are generated will, over time, cause dysfunction and pain.
The Capisco is a beautiful example of minimalist design that provides maximum support. Created in Norway (Scandinavia of course!), it almost feels as if the chair is an extension of the spine itself. The chair back even resembles a vertebra, one of the 26 bones that make up the spinal column.
It also has the interesting feature of being able to be turned around so one can lean into the front of the chair and completely relax the back.
A variety of choices
Please note that this chair is not best for all sitting choices. There are different seats suited for watching movies, for reclining, for playing drums. But the Capisco has become my number one work seat recommendation. And the many fabrics and colors will allow you to fit this “designer” chair into any modern setting. Its solid construction and sturdy coverings will insure that this investment will last a long time.
With more and more people confined to working on computers, the need for beautiful, functional furniture will only increase. But do not wait. Instead, go out and buy yourself a HAG Capisco now.
Your back will thank you!
Copyright 2017 Ricky Fishman, DC
Dr. Ricky Fishman has been a San Francisco based chiropractor since 1986. In addition to the treatment of back pain and other musculoskeletal injuries, he works as a consultant in the field of health and wellness with companies dedicated to re-visioning health care for the 21st century.
For more information on the HAG Capisco, check out the ergonomic furniture website Fully
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Fully.
[email protected] www.rickyfishman.com
