Sewing 5 ways to protect your back

Sewing 5 ways to protect your back

I love to sew and have at different times made clothes, toys, embroidery, tapestry and quilting. This last one I started to use up my dress making scraps but it developed into a completely separate way to add to my fabric collection.  Working with fabric has been a great way for me to relax I find it is easy to forget my worries when I am working with fabric and colour. I am completely absorbed by the challenge at hand. I love to express my arty side. Sadly I rarely have time as a working parent to do these things now but know I will return to them in time. If these are new to you or you are experienced with needlework I am keen that you get as much out of doing these activities as possible. 

Each of these things has a different challenge to complete some the small and intricate,other larger pieces involved more bending reaching and in the case of the finished quilt lifting. One thing I notice as an osteopath is that patients who are enjoying hobbies such as sewing and art often don’t mention them at the beginning of the consultation as they don’t think that I will be interested.They couldn’t be more wrong.  I am always interested in hobbies and myself and my colleagues will give you the best advice to enable you to do the hobbies you love. If you would like more information or advice please contact us.https://eyre-place-osteopathic-practice.cliniko.com/bookings#service check out our website Here


1. Take regular breaks. If you are sewing for a long time by hand or machine,standing up and moving around every 20 minutes to half an hour will help your back stay mobile. Put your supplies away from where you are sitting this will help you remember to get up and move more.  You will be able to sew for longer as you will stay focused for longer as well as being more comfortable.

 2. Sewing by hand use a frame or put your sewing on a table to bring your work up to you rather than you bending to it. Resting a free standing frame on the arms of a chair or pillows might give you the height you need to sew while keeping your work still. This will help you have your back in a more neural position more of the time. Looking down for long periods while concentrating on your work can lead to aches in your neck back or headaches. 

 3. Sit in a chair that gives you good support. If you feel uncomfortable try moving from chair to chair. The sofa might feel comfortable as you sit down but a chair with a more solid frame will give you better support. Use cushions  to add some softness to sit on , a rolled up towel can make a great lumbar support behind you.

 4.When pinning and cutting out use a table not the floor to reduce bending postures.If possible walk around the table feather than stretching across.  

 5. If you have been looking down for a long time  

 Talk to your osteopath about things that you can do to help you stay comfortable while you are sewing.

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