Category: Back Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi | Date: December 16, 2025
When you think of physically demanding jobs, a teacher probably doesn’t jump to the top of the list, but teaching is typically much more physical than most people realize. Teachers are oftentimes on their feet for the majority of the day, walking on hard surfaces and bending or moving to assist throughout the classroom or write on the whiteboard. When they do have time to sit down, it’s usually on a pretty unsupportive office chair that has been in their room for decades. All of these factors can contribute to back pain, and it should come as no surprise that a large percentage of teachers deal with chronic or acute back pain throughout the year.
If you’re a teacher, or you work in a similar role and have been dealing with spinal discomfort, we want to help ease your burden and get you back to moving without pain. In today’s blog, we explore some of the ways that teachers can work to prevent and treat back pain in the classroom.
Why Teachers Experience Back Pain
A number of different factors can contribute to back pain development in teachers. As we touched on above, teachers are typically on their feet for a good portion of their day, and all this standing can eventually overstress the spine. Combined with the fact that many teachers aren’t wearing shoes that are designed to help offset this prolonged stress, and classroom floors tend to be pretty hard surfaces, it’s easy to see why the daily grind of being a teacher can be hard on the spine.
When teachers do have time to sit down, it’s imperative that they focus on their posture positioning. If they are regularly hunched over a desk or leaning forward to see their computer screen, they are going to be putting excessive strain on their upper or lower spine. Cervical or lumbar spine pain is common in office workers and teachers who have poor spinal alignment when sitting, so make it a point to sit up straight and find a supportive chair when working at your desk.
A final contributing factor to back pain development in teachers is inactivity outside of work. A recent study published in Nature found that teachers who lived sedentary lifestyles were much more likely to deal with back pain than those who were active outside of work. We completely understand that teaching can be draining at times and the last thing you want to do after school is go to the gym, but it’s imperative that you remain active outside of work to strengthen your core and other muscle groups that will support your spine while you’re teaching.
Preventing And Treating Back Pain In Teachers
Preventing and treating back pain as a teacher really comes down to being aware of some of the most common contributing factors and taking steps to mitigate these sources of spinal discomfort. We touched on some treatment and prevention methods above, but some specific things you can do to care for your spine health as a teacher include:
- Wear Supportive Shoes – Invest in comfortable and supportive shoes that can help take some of the stress off your spine when you’re on your feet all day.
- Mind Your Seated Posture – Focus on your spinal alignment when you’re sitting so that you’re not putting excessive strain on your back when you’re working at your desk.
- Stay Active – As we noted above, stay active when you’re not teaching so that the muscles and tissues that support your spinal column can stay strong.
- Treat Small Problems – If you’ve begun to notice new or worsening back or neck pain, don’t ignore it and hope it goes away on its own. Pursue some conservative treatment options or connect with a doctor for individualized care recommendations.
Don’t let spine pain make your job more challenging. Dr. Sinicropi has been helping teachers put back pain in the rearview mirror for decades and he can do the same for you. For more information on how he can help, or to talk with him about a specific issue you’re dealing with, pick up the phone and contact the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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