My qualifications to objectively and accurately assess the benefits of the SwingSeat come from decades of work as an emergency medicine specialist, chief of an emergency department and creator of an industrial medicine program.  I also ran an orthopedics clinic during the latter part of my career.  Back pain is one of the most common problems seen in these sorts of medical practices.  Additionally, not only am I the owner of a back myself, it’s a bad one!  I have struggled with back pain for much of my life, despite rigorous athletic pursuits, and have learned about as much as one can in this realm as a patient and a physician-patient.  Lastly, I collaborated on a back health book by writing the book proposal for a famous back surgeon.  I have a comprehensive understanding of why backs hurt and what helps treat, manage, and prevent back pain.

Rani Lueder’s review of ergonomic considerations in seating directly applies to the SwingSeat.  I believe that her paper, Anatomical, physiological and health considerations relevant to the SwingSeat, can be boiled down to three basic principles.  First, the back needs proper support.  Second, the back needs optimal alignment and posture, and third, the back needs to move.  The SwingSeat makes all this happen simply and effortlessly.

When one sits in the SwingSeat, the chair seat and back move to provide perfect support as a function of an individual’s body size and mechanics.  This is accomplished through an initial setup of the chair’s height, back support position, and back support tension.  Once dialed in, the seat back and bottom move (swing) into position simply by the effect of gravity and rotational pinning of the parts (the ‘swing’ seat and the back strap).  Because of the elegant design, a very comfortable and back-healthy back/pelvis angle is achieved.  Because of the back support itself, normal lumbar and thoracic curves result.  This also facilitates a normal and healthy cervical (neck) spine curve as the lower back does not have to work to correct bad posture.  Consequently, the upper spine assumes its most efficient support configuration.  Because of the angle of the back support and the arc through which it moves as the SwingSeat dynamically adjusts to body movement, the lumbar curve is ideally supported.  As the lumbar spine is the most vulnerable area of the back as we age and acquire movement and postural injuries, this support area is critical to maintenance of back health.  Additionally, once the lumbar spine begins to degrade over time (they all do), it is even more critical to have the area supported.  Though this sounds good on a theoretical basis, the relief of pain and tension is immediate and sustained with continued seating. 

The most underestimated source of back pain comes from the sacro-iliac joints.  It is not unreasonable to say that nearly three fourths of all mechanical (not directly related to nerve compression in the spine) back pain, and this is the vast majority of all back pain, originates in this area.  It is overlooked because this part of the spine, the sacrum, does not have discs to collapse and nerves to pinch.  Modern orthopedic medicine tends to look for sources of back pain where there is demonstrable degeneration of the parts as demonstrated on imaging studies such as CT and MRI scans.  These imaging techniques cannot demonstrate the degeneration of the lumbosacral (and iliolumbar) ligament.  They don’t show up on anything other than a good physical exam that looks for tenderness in these areas.  In any case, one of the best things that can be done to appease these ligaments that scream out in pain is supportive posturing in the seated position.  The ideal lumbar curve and lumbar-pelvic angles are easily achieved with the SwingSeat. 

The other thing to know about ligament pain is that ligament like to move.  We know that an immobilized joint tends to ‘freeze’ and efforts to move that joint are met with pain.  And we know that ligaments that are painful will hurt less with continued movement.  This is one of the most critical aspects of the SwingSeat function.  As the chair parts are ‘suspended’, cradling the lower body, natural body movement is facilitated.  We’re healthiest when we move all the time.  We have the least amount of physical pain with continued movement.  As the body is held 'swinging’ in the chair, both intentional movement and micromovements are encouraged and supported.  It is the combination of ideal back/pelvic/thigh positioning and facilitation of movement that makes the SwingSeat not only comfortable but therapeutic for the majority of back pain sufferers.  For those who have yet to fall into the jaws of the back pain predator, the chair protects the back ligaments from injury by the same mechanisms.  Also, as muscular tension that results from poor support and lack of movement pulls on bones and tendons, this source of back pain is mitigated. 

Finally, the issue of vertebral disc disease should be mentioned.  The intervertebral shock absorbers, the discs, become diseased with physical trauma and naturally with age.  In the seated posture, the best we can do is to maintain a tension free lumbar curve.  Most non-ergonomic chairs fail to do this.  Other ‘ergonomic’ chairs achieve this more or less, but it is only the SwingSeat that combines natural balanced, dynamic movement with proper posturing and automatic support. 

After thirty years of running, 20 yrs of weight training, and 56 years of age, I have five level severe lumbar degenerative disc disease with multiple ruptured discs.  Interestingly, all my pain comes from my sacroiliac and iliolumbar ligament.  And it is the SwingSeat that makes me comfortable, relieves pain, and from which I can get up and straighten up with minimal discomfort.  For a guy like me, that’s at tall order.  Unfortunately, I’m rather dependent on ‘my chair’ and when not at home in my beloved SwingSeat, it’s pretty hard to get comfortable. 

Dr. Sterngold