Matt Metzgar has an interesting post concerning the relationship between back disc degeneration, and sitting versus squatting. Earlier I posted about how saddle seats are better than conventional chairs, and how humans were originally designed to squat. Matt posts figure 2 from a study that looked at disc degeneration in primitive versus modern civilizations, Comparative Radiological Study of the Spines of a Primitive Population with North Americans and Northern Europeans, and (apparently if you know how to read the figure properly, which I can’t, because I can’t download the article) it’s clear that there is virtually no disc degeneration in primitive populations. The authors think that this is because they engage in squatting instead of sitting.
In responding to Matt’s post, Dr. Phillip Snell suggested that an educated guess could be made about the reason for this connection. Sitting creates both high compressive forces and imbalanced muscle development. The latter prevents proper squatting, and the act of lifting a weight from an improper squat increases the likelihood of back disc injury. Esther Gokhale responded with her opinion that it’s our “inner corset” that is actually making the difference, and fortunately we can learn to learn to use this properly.
Tags: Back Problems, Discordance Hypothesis, Mismatch Theory, Squatting