The low back is made up of five vertebrae, L1 to L5. Pain in the low back is common, specifically because of all the sitting at work, school, and home. Individuals dealing with low back pain know how difficult it can be to sit without discomfort and have found that a low back support pillow can help.

Low Back Support Pillow

A lumbar pillow is a pillow that supports the low back region of the spine. Different types include:

• Lumbar rolls.
• Lumbar pillows for sleep or laying down.
• Vented lumbar pillows that allow airflow.
• Specially shaped pillows made from materials like memory foam.
• Lumbar pillows can be used on any chair at the office or home.
• They are also helpful for travel with small-sized versions that can be packed and easy to carry.

How Lumbar Pillows Help

According to the CDC, the average adult spends around 6.5 and 8 hours a day sitting. Constant sitting hurts the body, specifically the spine and the back muscles, and is a significant cause of muscle stress. Properly supporting the low back helps remove the stress and strain. A low back support pillow can help correct sitting posture.

Pillow Options

There are plenty of options for low-back support pillow shapes, sizes, fillings, and materials. These include:

• Memory foam.
• Gel options.
• Down and down-alternative.
• No-fill lumbar support pillows offer airflow.
• Some look like a half-cylinder in shape, rectangular, and curved.

Personal preference and comfort are different for everybody, and it could take some trial and error to find the right lumbar pillow. Some pillows are customizable, allowing the ability to add or remove filling as needed. Talking with a spine specialist, orthopedist or chiropractor can help in figuring out what type is best. Pillows come in various price ranges, with some at $10-15, while others can cost $100 or more. However, any pillow that provides enough support for the low spine’s natural curvature can work. It is important to be comfortable and supported to prevent pain and injury no matter where you sit.

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Body Composition

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Fermentable and Nonfermentable Fiber

The entire body can host trillions of beneficial bacteria. The majority live in the intestines and are referred to as the gut microbiome. Also known as the forgotten organ, these bacteria have a say in the body’s composition and overall health. The beneficial bacteria thrive on fermentable fiber, and fermentation in the gut produces short-chain fatty acids like:

• Acetate.
• Propionate.
• Butyrate.
• These help suppress gut inflammation and can reduce the risk of various digestive disorders like:
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Crohn’s disease.
• Ulcerative colitis.

Foods that are rich in fermentable fibers include:

• Oats
• Barley
• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Cereal fibers that are rich in cellulose, like wheat bran, are nonfermentable.

References

“What is Memory Foam?” Sleep Foundation, Seattle, WA. August 2020. www.sleepfoundation.org/mattress-information/what-is-memory-foam

“Association Between Sitting Time and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors After Adjustment for Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, 2010–2013.” Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA. December 2016. www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2016/16_0263.htm

“Ergonomics for Prolonged Sitting.” The University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA. www.uclahealth.org/spinecenter/ergonomics-prolonged-sitting

“Workplace sitting is associated with self-reported general health and back/neck pain: a cross-sectional analysis in 44,978 employees.” BMC Public Health, London, UK. May 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33957889/