Marquette Models - Divanio Slouch Mark4

The Final Concept of the Divanio Model would be similar to the Final concept of the Gobba model. It would be again made from one single sheet of Perspex and moulded into shape. These models are a very useful tool to understanding the way we should not sit during the course of the day. The models exaggerate the seated position and from only using them for 5 minutes or so, the user should feel some kind of stress to the lower back. For obvious reasons any back pain sufferers should not use the models as it could affect their backs.

Marquette Models - Gobba Hunch Mark3

The Final Concept of the Gobba Model would be a freestanding chair, designed and used fully for the purpose of demonstrating to consumers the implications of sitting in this position for a prolonged period of time. The pictures bellow show the concept it is made using one single sheet on Perspex similar to the previous model.

Marquette Models - Divanio Slouch Mark3

Similar to the refining of the Gobba Models, I wanted to do the same to the Divanio Models. Bellow then are some images of the Add-on that would create the Divanio Slouch when added to your average wooden chair. Again a single piece of Perspex would be used and folded into the new position.

Marquette Models - Gobba Hunch Mark2

After looking at the Mark 1 ‘Gobba hunch’ model I wanted to refine the design, create a more aesthetically pleasing model. The overall shape worked well so it was more that materials that needed changing. If you look at the images bellow these are the concept for the Mark 2, using a single sheet of Perspex to create the add-on. By doing this it will hopefully create a simpler model and more pleasing to the eye. As well as the aesthetics, using Perspex will give the model more structural strength.

IDO Cards - Mark2

After the results of my first attempt at the IDO cards I was very happy with them but I wanted to try with a simpler background and only two questions. The reason for this was to go back to the roots of the issue and find out just what people think of back pain. In the Mark1 I did not ask about back pain at all so I left it for the subjects to decide how to answer the questions. In the Mark2 with the two simple questions it was much easier to find out just how much people know.

It was very easy and obvious after looking at the results that in general my subjects understand the causes of back pain and the ways in which they can reduce it.

The first two subjects that took part in this activity were back pain sufferers and it was apparent from the results that they were trying to reduce the pain because they were very quick and sure about what and where to put the cards.

Other subjects that had not experienced back pain were slower to decide where to put the cards, in the end in general most of the subjects had similar end results, so from this it was good to see that people do know the causes of back pain and also know how to reduce back pain.

The Mark2 of the IDO cards was very simple compared to the Mark1 and the results were the same. Straight to the point, and from the results it was easy to see how much people know.

IDO Cards - Mark1 - Combine work and relaxation

By asking this question I wanted to find out how the individual would best combing work and relaxation. I wanted to find out to see if they would have a realistic idea of combining the two.

First under mood the main themes that were chosen were happy & frustration, comfort and chill out. I was confused to why the subjects chose frustration in this section, however it made me think that they could be right, if we didn’t get frustrated at things we do then we would never try to make them better. Comfort and chill out was understandable as making the working environment a more relaxed environment it would reduce stress levels. This links it similarly to the environment section.
In the aids section fitness and healthy eating were the more common, this was i good result because if we eat healthy and we have a good level of general fitness we are less likely to suffer from aback problems.

And finally under the seating section, the well designed chairs came on top, this I was very pleased at as it shows that people can tell by looking at a chair, that it is well designed and would be more likely to use these chairs if available.

IDO Cards - Mark1 - Describe Relaxation

By asking this question I wanted to find out how people enjoy their relaxation period, as from the ‘divanio slouch’ many people when the relax sit if a very back position that can affect the back.

As before ill start with looking at the mood of the subjects. On the whole most of the subjects are in a happy spirit of mind which is good as there should be no worries when someone is relaxing. They also use the comfort, relax, and chill out cards. This is as I expected as when someone is relaxing it is their time, time to themselves.

The aids people used in this section were fitness and food. It was good to see people putting this card under relaxation as a good level of fitness is very important to the back. It goes back to the core muscles groups that help hold the lower spine in place.

Again under environment I did expect people to use the relaxation and chill out cards, but they also used the environmental card which I was unsure when this would be used. This again is good to see as it shows that people want to go outdoors when they are relaxing.

The seating section was one that again I was expecting all the large sofas to be put into and like I thought were. This shows that people are more concerned with comfort and relaxing than their posture or back. One subject however put the Swiss ball under seating which I was very surprised about. This shows that for some people they are very concerned about their body and fitness.

IDO Cards - Mark1 - What is work for you?

By asking this question I wanted to find out what people think of their working environment, how they feel while they are at work and if there are anything that help then through the day.

After looking through the results there were a few images that were common between the subjects. Under mood they felt both happiness and some sort of downer. This was understandable as feelings while at work do change day to day, but as they experienced both up and down feelings it was apparent that they are not depressed at work, this being a good thing as depression can lead to back pain.

Under aids everyone put the card that shows healthy food, if I was to attempt this again I would also make a card with sugary snacks and crisps on it, as to see what kind of food gets them through the day.

Under environment it varied through different jobs, the two main themes though that came through were professional and relaxed. Differences in working environment can have a serious impact on how an individual feels and acts. It is key to find a happy medium as if stress affects an individual to much then this to can lead to chronic back pain.

Finally the seating in the workplace, the main one hat popped up more than once was the stacked seating. These stacked seating in a workplace where someone is seated foe a prolonged period of time is not healthy. These types of seats do not provide the correct support to the back.

IDO Cards - Mark1

To begin with I divided a board into 4 segments which I headed

• Moods
• Aids
• Environment
• Seating

I also posed 3 questions that I would ask my subjects

• What is work for you?
• Describe Relaxation
• Combining work and relaxation

By providing this platform for the subjects I thought I would be able to analyse the results with more success. I specifically chose the images on the cards as each on has a relevance to back pain or the prevention of it.

IDO Cards

At the beginning of the semester we were given a task using IDO cards, it was a good way to quickly get results. It is very interactive and stimulates the mind of the subject. As the 2nd part of my Mini Brief I was asked to generate some IDO cards so I could get a better understanding of what people think of back pain.

Marquette Models - Divanio Slouch Mark2

After the Divanio Slouch Mark1 I wanted to exaggerate the slouched position again from a side profile, so for the Mark2 I used an insert that simply sits on a seat and stops the individual sitting upright. It forces them to sit on the edge of the seat and causes an arch in the back. Same as the Gobba Hunch I asked then to sit for 5 minutes and asked their thoughts and how they felt at the end of the time. For each subject I took 3 separate photos, first I asked them to sit up straight, and then sit comfortably and lastly with the insert in place.



Two of the three subjects slouched when i asked them to sit comfortably, and this is noticeable in the images. The same 2 subjects also found that with the wedge in place they did not mind the position a great deal, although they did both have a numb lower back to a certain extent. The other subject for the wedge very uncomfortable and did not like sitting with it place, this subject when asked to sit comfortably sat up straight. I was very satisfied by the results on the Mark2.


Using these Marquette models the user can get a idea of how sitting in the wrong positions can have a serious affect on not only the lower back but the whole upper body. The sedentary lifestyle that we live in causes us to be seated for many hours of the day, these models show just how bad the positions we take can affect us and show just how not to sit while relaxing and at work.

Marquette Models - Gobba Hunch Mark1

For my models to demonstrate the Gobba Hunch I wanted to exaggerate the hunch formed from leaning over the office desk. I used three subjects and asked them to sit on the seat from 5 minutes and no more, as sitting in this position for longer would not be beneficial.



Each of my subjects felt the strain instantly on the shoulders and by the time the 5 minutes were up, they felt very uncomfortable and had a numb feeling on their lower back. Although it felt unnatural to sit in the position the insert made you take, when looking at the image with and without, the position without the insert is not that dissimilar to one of the subjects. I feel that this insert works well to show an exaggerated ‘Gobba Hunch’.

Marquette Models - Divanio Slouch Mark1

For these models I really wanted to exaggerate the seating positions, forcing the user into the extreme end of the position. My first attempt (Mark1) I used an old wooden chair which I cut the back off and re-attached with support brackets. I also attached a foot rest to support the weight of the lower body. From the Divanio Slouch, it is the lower back that is affected most so I wanted to demonstrate this by using the chair.



After looking back at the pictures it was noticeable that the Mark1 did not show the curve in the spine that I wanted it to. By rotating the back at the base of the seat it didn’t fully force the back into the slouched position, so I took this into consideration and needed to come up with a different solution.

My Mini Brief

Based on your initial investigation into the ‘language of Slouch’
You are asked to:

1. Develop a set of cards representing the diverse ways that
People sit which might help your design process better
Understand at a deeper level the people you will design for.

2. Develop a number of these slouch profiles into actual 1:1 scale
Chair ‘marquette models’ using cardboard for example

Designs - Assa Ashuach

"I believe that a designed object is created to fulfil a need. In my work, I try to reduce the design to its most essential parts. The two important elements for me are perception and use. The final form of an object can be broken down to two main disciplines: the visual and the physical structure. Take for example the 501Chair: it is a single surface with no undercuts, constructed in a single outline that modifies the surface structural strength and dictates its visual definition. It is a reduction. You can’t take from it and you can’t add to it."

" The 501 chair evolved from an early project, My Trousers. These are trousers in which you can walk and sit. One of the things I realised when working on My Trousers was that sitting with a wider angle between the back and the thighs was not only comfortable, but good for the body posture. This new way of sitting allows the user to relax their back from tension. In my opinion, the traditional chair is an evolutional mistake that started way back with the design of the first chair. One thing is sure, sitting with a 90 degree angle is a very bad solution, particularly when it is for long hours, leaning forward to type on a computer and we are stuck with tables that are 72cm high."



http://designmuseum.org/design/assa-ashuach
http://www.assaashuach.com/

Designs - Marco Onorini

The Concept

The concept evolves from the belief that the perfect chair does not exist: our posture is constantly moving and therefore it should not be restricted. It is believed that continuous posture changes helps to prevent tiredness and aches.

The Idea

A simple structure that provides a good support to lean against. As the user relaxes, the body weight gradually transforms the perch into a comfortable chair.

A spring-back action enables the user to easily stand up.

The high back support provides the ultimate comfort as well as a welcome privacy in the open plan office.

A hand operated adjuster enables Perchair to be adapted to different weights and heights.
I think the concept of this chair is very understandable and I think the idea behind the chair has a very solid basis. A chair that moves and adapts to our movements would work very well and if this chair was comfortable as well ans supportive it could work extremely well.

The Green Ergonomic Office

Setting up a green office has less to do with buying high tech ergonomic equipment, and more with using what you already have correctly. Buying less office equipment, means less chance for your old stuff ending up in the landfill somewhere, and quite frankly, no matter what you currently have, it is probably a lot more functional than you may realize. Sometimes the best way to reuse old office equipment, is to have never thrown it away in the first place.

Science and technology has caught up enough with consumer demand to give us the chance to build upon our own ergonomic needs, even if companies and organizations seldom provide such equipment on their own accord. There are many ways to improve comfort levels in the office environment and curb the possibility of office related injuries, such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).

Many offices run under the delusion that by purchasing new “ergonomic” office equipment, they can find an easy solution to such problems. In reality, the problem does not necessarily lie in the hands of the products themselves as much as it does in their proper use. But before you can battle any office related injury you must first know what it is exactly what you are dealing with.

Safecomputingtips.com is a great source for learning about potential symptoms of poor office ergonomics and how to find relief for both CTS and RSI. For CTS, which is basically a pinched and inflamed nerve in the hand, there are a number of symptoms you should be on the lookout for:

-Pain and/or numbness of hand
-Tingling sensation in fingers, wrist and hand
-Poor circulation (cold hands)
-Weak grip causing frequent dropping of objects

RSI is very similar to CTS, but also includes other various strains and injuries of the upper limbs, overall musculoskeletal system and eyes. These are all related to particular repetitive motions that are very common in the office environment where long, unbroken periods of work are common. These are the symptoms to watch for with RSI:

-Constant pain in either the elbows, shoulders, neck and/or back
-Pain in the upper limbs and shoulders


To combat these situations it becomes necessary to keep your hand and wrist level with each other. This means that your keyboard and mouse should be as close to your lap as possible with your forearms parallel to the floor and your upper arms hanging comfortably to your side. You also need to be seated comfortably with your back and upper limbs properly supported throughout the chair.

A "green ergonomic office" can refer to several different things. Today, we are looking at salvaging and reusing your current office equipment, rather than purchasing a whole new set. You may think that new and improved "ergonomic" stuff will vastly improve your office performance and comfort, when in truth, it may not be as much improved as you think.

Voodoo Ergonomics

Tony Biafore of Ergonetics has been in the ergonomic business for 25 years, plus currently contracts with the U.S. Department of Labor to help with their in-houseergonomics program. Tony tells us, “There is no such thing as an ergonomic product—it is all in how you use things.”

In other words, a new ergonomic computer mouse used in the same bad position will leave you no better off than the old mouse you’d been using. This is what Tony considers to be the very common misconception of what he likes to call “voodoo ergonomics.” VE is the belief that a product alone can be a fix-all for such office related ailments. Good quality office products can be valuable tools, but you must also know how to use them properly in order to gain the full benefit from them.
Tony doesn’t understand why there isn’t more involvement of business office curriculum to ensure that employees are using their office equipment correctly. Especially when you consider that adjusting the operating position of your computer mouse and seating posture will always prove less expensive and easier on the environment than trips to the doctor, insurance payments, surgeries, and countless new product purchases.

Uncle Charlie Factor

Even if you are not currently suffering from these symptoms, it is good practice to give yourself a heads-up and try to avoid any problems in the future. This is what Tony considers to be the “Uncle Charlie Factor.” As Tony explained, some Uncle Charlie’s can live for 99 years smoking and drinking and never have a problem. While other Uncle Charlie’s are not as lucky and suffer a whirlwind of complications from such abuse.

You never know which type you will fall under, so it pays to sometimes take the safe route and follow the proper office equipment guidelines. You can look at the proper use of such office equipment on OSHA’s website. It is amazing the difference that a couple inches can make when it comes to proper positioning and your comfort.

The Cure Lies in your Own Actions

Like many technology coerced illnesses today, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) andRepetitive Strain Injury (RSI) are caused mostly by our own ignorance and lack of information. These ailments can be dealt with safely and effectively if you take a look around your office and make the necessary adjustments to give your body the daily support it needs to make it through a typical eight hour day.

Don't fall into the trap of reading about the newest and greatest office product, when the office equipment you currently own is probably more than adequate as long as you are using them correctly and effectively. Health is our most valuable asset and when the choice is put into your own hands. I hope you choose to take your health seriously and make the move towards a healthier, happier, and more comfortable you.

(passage taken from http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/green-ergonomics.php)

Designs - A Niels Differient chair

In the video above designer ‘Niels Differient’ has designed a chair that doesn’t interfere with what you want to do, his chair concentrates on the ergonomics of a human and is completely inclusive. The chair has been designed the way an office chair should be and if most office chairs had this much thought been put into the design process it would be a great help for the back. There is one drawback from Differient’s chairs, the cost. For a leather version of the chair in the video above it would set you back $2,465.00, and in the times we are in at the moment I don’t think office based companies will be rushing out to buy one.

http://www.dwr.com/category/designers/d-g/niels-diffrient.do
http://boingboing.net/2009/06/13/new-chair-from-legen.html

The Language of Slouch

To get a greater understanding of how people’s day to day activities affect the back I created the Language of slouch. The Language of slouch is a interactive tool that allows the user to flick through different screen showing the different positions that people sit and stand in which affects the back. A categorised these into six sections, each section showing a different position. I decided to incorporate Italian into the Language of Slouch as i wanted to create my own unique Language for the tool.



The First section of the Language of Slouch is the ‘Divanio Slouch’, this is the position that most take when relaxing in the evenings after a hard had at work. While seated like this the individual is completely relaxed, letting their body go and allowing the sofa to take all their weight. Although this may be seen as comfortable, has comfort overtaken posture and sitting correctly? While seated like this the back is curved in the wrong direction, and the weight of the upper body in forced on the lower lumbar region of the back. This is the area of the back that is most affected by the Divanio Slouch and with our hectic lifestyles forcing us onto the sofas in the evening, it is becoming a great problem and a real danger to the lower back.



The second section is the position some take while sitting at a desk, working at either a computer or a laptop, I call this the ‘Gobba Hunch’. They hunch over the desk curving he spine like in the Divanio slouch which again causes strain on the lower and middle back. In this position the individual is concentrating on what they are doing and is usually bringing their head closer to the screen which will cause more curving of the spine. It is the sedentarily lifestyle that a high percentage of the UK live these days that are forcing the workforce to work at a desk, and as we are not sitting correctly it is affecting our backs.



The second section is the position some take while sitting at a desk, working at either a computer or a laptop. They hunch over the desk curving he spine like in the Divanio slouch which again causes strain on the lower and middle back. In this position the individual is concentrating on what they are doing and is usually bringing their head closer to the screen which will cause more curving of the spine. It is the sedentarily lifestyle that a high percentage of the UK live these days that are forcing the workforce to work at a desk, and as we are not sitting correctly it is affecting our backs.



Next is the ‘Camminare’, which is how we walk and stand. How we walk can say a lot about a person, if a person walks tall with good posture, this shows that a person is confident. Opposite to that if a person walks with his head down and has bad posture this can mean he is unconfident, so confidence can also help stop back pain becoming a problem. Carrying bags and rucksacks can also lead to back pain. This extra weight being applied to the back causes extra stress for the core muscle groups, also wearing a rucksack on one shoulder can twist the spine in the opposite direction. All these issues can have a significant effect on our backs and with simple steps like concentrating on how we walk and keeping a good posture we can help eliminate back pain.



The ‘Tipici’ is a collection of the day to day positions that we take up that can affect our backs. Simple things like having the car seat in the correct position while driving can stop back pain. There are many things we can do to help in the aid of back pain and bellow are a couple.



The ‘Seduto dritto’ is the correct way to hold your body while seated or standing. By following simple steps like the image of a man sitting at a desk, back pain can be prevented. If we payed more attention to our posture and our core muscle groups this would really help us prevent back pain if acute from becoming chronic.
My Language of Slouch then shows at a glance the positions that we adopt that can lead to back pain, and simply by have this tool in the back of your mind it can help with the prevention of back pain.

Case Study

After looking back at the research I have undertaken it became apparent that the fitness and healthiness of an individual plays a big part when talking about back pain. To show this I made a case study of two individuals of the same age, one that suffers from back pain and one that does not. I constructed this diagram bellow which shows the timeline of the individual’s day.


If we look at subject A to begin with. Subject A is 22 years of age, and works in an industrial supply shop. His day consists of stock checks, to serving customers at the counter. Most of his day will be spent on his feet. If we look at his diet this consists of burger van rolls, confectionary and fizzy drinks, he also enjoys a takeaway from time to time. It is obvious from looking at his diet that it is unhealthy, but not only does Subject A have a bad diet he also suffers from depression. He spends his evenings sitting watching TV and sitting at his desk on his laptop.

Subject A is of the same age, however is a physiotherapist and enjoys sporting activity. He has a very healthy diet that consists of fruit and veg and healthy home cooked meals in the evenings. Subject B also walks to work and is very happy with his lifestyle.

From looking at these two individuals could you spot the one who suffers from back pain? Subject B has never experienced a day of back pain in his life, whereas Subject A suffers from chronic back pain at only 22. This shows that looking after the body and mind can have a great impact on having a strong healthy back.

Core strength using the Wii Fit

Core strength is an issue that can directly help to reduce back pain. The Wii Fit is a great tool that demonstrates an individual’s core strength, one game in particular is tailored for this. The basic idea of the game is that you sit cross legged on the Wii fit board, sitting up straight. The object is to be able to sit for the longest time without moving an inch, the more you move the, the worse score you will get.



After the game I asked the competitors how they felt and each one felt their muscles being used, and said that they haven’t felt their core muscles being used like this before. From this simple experiment it is easy to understand how important the core strength on an individual is for a healthy back.

Discussion with a Chiropractor

What is a chiropractor? A chiropractor is someone who deals with all kind of problems within the body, they concentrate on the spinal biomechanics and the musculo-skeletal relationships in the body. For a lot people who suffer from back problems they are often the first port of call to seek treatment, they were for me. I spoke to Riverside Chiropractic Clinic in Aberdeen to get a professionals opinion on back pain. For me it was interesting to see if my findings and thoughts would match up to that of a chiropractor. One of the most important questions that I asked was what are the main causes of back pain? I was very happy with the response. She mentioned that a high percentage of her patients have a sedentary lifestyle and have an office based job. Another point that kept coming up in our conversation was that if her patients took part in daily exercise and ate a healthy diet she would be out of a job. This was very positive findings as it backed up my previous thoughts on how our lifestyles can have an effect on our back. Towards the end of the conversation I asked, how can we get people to understand the extent of the problem? She answered in a strange way by saying ‘people feel invincible until they feel the pain’. Which is very true because using myself as an example, I didn’t think twice about back problems until i had the problem. Overall it was very useful to get a professionals opinion on the subject and with her backing up my original findings it was very worthwhile.

Back Pain in different cultures

Throughout my research it is apparent that the lifestyles we live in western society have a significant effect on our backs. We Work all day and relax on the sofa at night, so I wanted to get a better understanding of another culture to see what differences and similarities there are between us and them.



I decided to look at Japan and more specifically the ‘Salaryman’. The Salaryman is the Japanese equivalent to our 9-5 office worker. Compared to our average 8 hour working day, the Salarymen think nothing of working 16 hours per day, 6 days a week. They fulfil the most unreasonable demands from their bosses in fear of being overlooked at time of promotion. That alone differs greatly from a 9-5 worker.
One thing that is consistent with both of these types of individual is the work related stress levels they feel. Stress levels can affect the way we feel about ourselves and can also have an effect on the back.

“The back pain claim rate in 1999 was 60 times higher in Washington state than in Japan.”

So how do they deal with the stress levels in Japan and do they differ from how we distress and relax in western society?

In the UK the most common form of relaxation that an office worker would undertake after a hard day at work, would be simply to sit on the sofa infront of the TV and completely chill. That and heading to the local for a pint on the way home. If we analyse the seating position that they adopt while seated it is apparent of how the position their spine takes can have an effect on their back. If we look at the position they adopt while sitting on the sofa they completely let their body go, allowing every part to just drop. It could be said that they are letting their worries drop with the body. This position can have a serious effect on the lower lumbar region of the back, especially when sitting in this period for a long period of time. If we also look at the position that is adopted when sitting at a table in the pub. Again the body is let go, in a completely relaxed position. I think this sedentary lifestyle is one of the main reasons for back problems, but how to the salarymen in Japan relax?


Surprisingly they relax in a similar way to office workers in the U.K. They make their way into the bar districts and drink with co-workers, but there is more to it than that.

“A multi-million dollar industry has grown up around stress reduction. Stress-relieving salons offer things like $10, 10-minute shoulder massages, reflexology lessons and visits to isolation tanks with soothing music and psychedelic lights. Among the stress-relief products on the market are aromatherapy lamps, stress-relieving CDs, herbal teas, sleeping pills and relaxation aids such as $150 robot jellyfish and $11,000 virtual fish tanks. “

This multi-million dollar industry also includes certain types of sex clubs. The salarymen rather spending time taking part in these types of stress release methods, because they find it hard relaxing in their noisy cramped apartments. You can see by this image that they take their stress release very seriously. By looking at this image I don’t think I could feel relaxed in that kind of environment.


In western society then the office worker is definitely living a sedentary lifestyle, the salaryman also to a certain extent is living that same lifestyle. They both suffer from stress and both need to relax afterhours. The sheer volume of after hour activities available in Japan in amazing, but whether or not it is these activities that are decreasing the amount of back pain that is suffered I am undecided. It could be put down to something as simple as they are averagely smaller and lighter that people in western society and therefore not as much force is being applied to the lower back.

A look at the History of back Pain

Back pain is not something that’s new to us. Between these times and the beginning of the 19th century back problems were looked at in a completely different way. The problems were simply diagnosed and treated in the same way every time, the patient was told to lay on their back and rest. The Doctors of the times thought that movement and exercise would cause the back more pain, and from this minimising movement was curtail for the recovery of the back.

Back pain still is not fully understood today but it wasn’t till the turn on the 20th century that back pain became a more common occurrence. It was known as Industrial pain and it has increased dramatically between WW1 and WW2.

Back pain was also a problem in the 19th century but was still not understood then. The earliest reports of the 20th century came after the introduction of the railway. It wasn’t the railway development that caused the problem but railway accidents. It was post-traumatic symptoms of passengers that were often passed off as fakers who first developed the symptom knows as ‘railway spine’ or ‘Erchsens disease’. #

Railway collisions were very common in the 19th century, making the problem worse was the fact that the railway carts were flimsy, wooden structures that did not provide any protection for the passengers. The Problem of ‘railway spine’ was debated in depth between ‘John Eric Erichsen’s’ who named the disease, and a number of other doctors and academics who came up with a number of reasons for the disorder. It was most likely to be caused by the seating in the train, and more so for the passengers who had their backs in the direction of the acceleration as they experienced a sort of whiplash.

If I refer back to earlier in my essay it is apparent that back pain today and around the 19th and 20th century is completely different. Back pain used to be mostly initiated by an accident, whereas nowadays it is the sedentary lifestyle that a high percentage of us live in that are the problem.

“Not only is low back pain the most common cause of work-related disability for people under age 45, but it is also the most costly, with most of these expenses from workers' compensation payments and medical bills.”

Who would have thought when the initial office based job could lead to such a great problem that is back pain? Back pain costs the NHS £5 billion a year alone. That is a scary amount of money, and especially when the biggest reason for the pain is us, the people of the U.K.