Our very own Dr Richard Hollis, talks to the Daily Mail about chairs and gadgets to protect your back. He says 'Contrary to popular belief, most back injuries happen due to inactivity, rather than excessive activity.'The discs between each vertebra in your back have no blood supply of their own, but rely on movement to maintain their health, he explains

'Each minute movement of the body allows them to suck in fluid and secrete waste products. If you don't move, then the discs can become compressed, triggering damage and back pain.

'If your back, neck or shoulders ache after sitting too long in one position, this is due to a build-up of lactic acid,' he adds. Lactic acid is a waste product released into the muscles, which can cause them to ache.

'Muscles are designed to contract and expand,' Dr Hollis says. 'Inactivity is bad for them.'

There is nothing worse for your back, it seems, than hours on the sofa or a stiff, unyielding plastic school chair  -  the sort you have probably spent many years of your life perched on (and the kind of chair your children are now fidgeting on in class).

What you need is a slightly unstable seat, as this forces you to try to balance yourself while sitting. This works the muscles, so keeping your back strong and fit, as well as sending messages to the brain that keep you alert and focussed.

For the full article in the Daily Mail click here