Kidney Pain When Sitting Too Long at Desk

Many studies suggest that sitting for lengthy periods each day can have harmful effects on your health. These studies suggest that sitting can increase your risk of diabetes, heart attack, and even some types of cancer. Studies have found that prolonged sitting, particularly among women, may also contribute to chronic kidney pain when sitting.

People who sit for prolonged periods are at an increased risk of kidney disorders that begin as kidney pain when sitting. Having less than three hours of seated time a day reduced the risk of chronic kidney pain while sitting by 30% compared to having over eight hours a day.

Causes Kidney Pain When Sitting Too Long

You have a kidney on each side of your spine on the back of your abdomen under your ribcage. It is possible that kidney pain when sitting down could be causing pain in your middle to upper back. It does not necessarily mean that you have kidney problems if you have back or side pain.

If only one kidney is damaged, only one side of the body may be affected; if both kidneys are damaged, both sides may experience pain. A kidney problem might be the cause of the pain you are experiencing. If you look up ‘can sitting too long cause kidney pain?’, you will find these possible causes:

• Infection of the urinary tract (UTI)
• Infection of the kidneys
• PKD or polycystic kidney disease
• Your kidney(s) have blood clots
• An injury to your kidney(s) that causes bleeding

Whenever you feel pain in your back, neck, or if your kidney hurts when sitting. You should consult your doctor.

Symptoms of Kidney Pain

The kidney pain from sitting too long is often misdiagnosed as back pain. A kidney problem is more severe and higher up the back than back pain, usually in the lower back. Your kidneys are located on both sides of your backbone, just under the ribcage. On each side of the spine, the kidneys are located under the ribcage.

Kidney pain is experienced on both sides and in the middle to the upper back (mostly under the ribs, to the right or left of the spine). There's also a possibility that other areas, such as the abdomen or groin, may be affected.

Consult your physician if you have persistent pain in your middle to upper back or sides. Your kidneys could be permanently damaged if you do not treat the problem immediately. It can cause life-threatening complications in some situations, like kidney infections.

If you don’t have any serious underlying condition, then this back pain will start up when you’re sitting. It is one of the main reasons we experience fatigue after some time and even a need to urinate frequently.

Tips to Prevent Kidney Pain When Sitting

To understand how to relieve this pain, we must first discuss why it occurs in the first place. It is most commonly caused by poor posture that people suffer from buttocks pain when sitting. Furthermore, poor posture can lead to a wide range of health problems, such as:

1. Avoid too much sitting

Cut down on time you spend sitting down every day to prevent or relieve buttocks pain. You may have a difficult time doing this while working in an office. If not sitting down is not exactly an option, you could consider active sitting options, like our ErgoStool, for instance.

2. Keeping active during your day

Get up and stay active throughout your workday to prevent chronic pain associated with sitting too long. Get up, walk around, stretch, and generally move throughout the day to stay healthy. Stretch your muscles every half hour or every hour as you work. Do a few rounds of the office. 

3. Using medications

The pain caused by sore buttocks, thighs, and hips can be relieved by over-the-counter medications. In addition, something that reduces inflammation can also be taken. Spices, herbs, and essential oils can all relieve inflammation if you cannot take over-the-counter medications.

4. Stretching

If you have tight muscles in your lower body, you can use various stretching techniques to reduce pain. You can strengthen your buttock's muscles by doing exercises such as yoga and stretching. These seated stretches will also relieve any pain you may be experiencing.

5. Use cold/hot packs

If you choose the cold and hot methods, you will need both a cooling and heating pack. They can quickly heat up and do not need to be microwaved, so plug-in heating packs are a great idea.

Heat also eases the pain of your injury, in addition to assisting the healing process. Additionally, heat improves circulation, which helps with joint stiffness. Using ice and cold packs for 20-30 minutes before using heat can reduce swelling, pain, and inflammation. For 10-15 minutes, you should apply a cold pack thrice daily.

Use a Standing Desk and Ergonomic Chair

Sitting down can't be avoided. Consider switching to a standing desk if you find that you are in this situation. Such desks allow you to choose between sitting and standing, which is why standing desks are great.

To get a break from sitting, you can simply stand up if your back or butt begins to hurt. A really good option for your home is standing desks can be quite expensive, and some workplaces do not allow them. It's best to add a seat cushion to your desk to make it more comfortable.

The cost of upgrading your chair to an ergonomic chair for long sitting may seem steep, but seat cushions are surprisingly affordable. In addition to providing relief from your existing pain, they will also help reduce the pressure you're feeling.

Their long-term health benefits are similar in both cases. A standing desk also provides natural positioning, which is similar to what ergonomic office chairs do but allows a person to adjust their posture as they stand. By standing, the legs can be at a 180-degree angle, which burns slightly more calories than sitting, thus increasing blood flow and making the muscles work harder.

Many ergonomic chairs available today provide full back support so that neck, back, and even hip pressure are drastically reduced. The user of ergonomic chairs can position their legs at a 90-degree angle, allowing them to maintain a good blood flow around their legs and prevent issues such as swelling and numbness.