What is the best type of office chair for low back/disk problems?

Public Comments

1. One with lumbar support. Or, as I have seen many people use, buy a pillow or something and put in between your back and the chair. They even make some that vibrate!
2. This would depend a lot on which disk is affected. I have a problem with my L5/S1 disk (the lowest and largest). The chairs that are the most comfortable for me are the ones where the backrest extends from just below the neck to a little below the middle of my back i.e., there is a 3-4 inches gap between the seat and the backrest – there is no support at all for the lowest part of my back, which is the affected region. I found this comfortable because I could push my lower back really deep into the chair, leaving the weight of my torso to be supported by the middle part of the back which was resting against the backrest. I should note that my job is almost entirely on a computer with a pullout keyboard, my shoulders are always pushed back, and I almost never need to bend over my desk to write anything. My colleagues who have a back problem a little higher up than mine do not like such a chair, and prefer one where the backrest starts from the seat with no gap. They also prefer chairs where the padding in the backrest is quite soft, whereas I prefer mine firm to the point of being hard. They also found using a pillow or cushion to be useful, but I just found it uncomfortable. However, we all did agree that any chair that made us slip forward was very painful. I've yet to come across any chair in a workplace that is comfortable. I've found the best solution is to walk as often as possible, and religiously do the exercises taught by my physiotherapist.