Last year, I started noticing my hip was tingling but soon after the tingling turned into pain. I turned 40 so of course, my hip would hurt, right? But then it became so painful, I could barely walk. When I laid down, it was a throbbing pain that never went away. I knew it wasn't in my bones or joints - it was nerve pain. My husband told me that he has had trouble with his sciatic nerve in the past and that I should go see my chiropractor.

Why Was I Having Debilitating Hip Pain?

So, I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Greenlee in Newburgh. After some assessment, he diagnosed my hip pain as Piriformis syndrome.

Piriformis syndrome is pain and numbness in your buttocks and down the back of your leg. It occurs when the piriformis muscle in the buttocks presses on the sciatic nerve. The syndrome, which affects more women than men, is uncommon. But when it occurs, it can cause sciatica-type symptoms. -https://medlineplus.gov

Dr. Greenlee did some adjustments on me and let me tell you, it was right up there with giving birth. I held back tears as he manipulated the trapped nerve out. At one point, there was a very audible POP as my hip flexor snapped into place.

Side note: you have to be really comfortable with your chiropractor because they get very very close to you! 

Anyway, Dr. Greenlee also offered physical therapy and showed me exercises I could do to help keep the nerve from getting trapped again. He also warned me that piriformis is caused by... sitting. Ug.

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My Pain Was Caused from... Sitting

Oh, sitting you say? I spend 8-10 hours a day sitting at my desk job and driving to and from work. I also sit when I watch my daughter's sports, and drive her to and from the barn where we keep our horse, and then after a long day, all I want to do is sit down and eat or watch tv. So, I was probably sitting for about 90% of my day.

I did notice that I didn't have the pain on weekends as I did during the week. But, I move around a LOT more on weekends when I clean the house and complete projects. I'm not sitting at a desk all day.

So, when I went in for my third visit to untrap that dumb nerve, I asked Dr. Greenlee if he thought a standing desk would help since sitting was causing my issues. His reply was a resounding "absolutely."

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Picking the Right Standing Desk

So, I started searching. I decided on this one since it was big enough to hold a laptop, large monitor, and lamp. It also has an extended keyboard tray, could get high enough to sit on my desk and be eye-level with me, and it had to be easy to adjust up and down. In fact, I sit down when I eat so I'm up and down all day and it's easy to adjust.

I actually got this one on sale for $70 but standing desks aren't cheap. It now retails for $149. But I found out today that if you have a medical necessity, many insurance companies will pay for the standing desk.

Will Health Insurance Pay for My Desk?

Maybe!

According to www.progressivedesk.com:

If you want to qualify for your insurance to pay for a standing desk, take a look into your medical conditions. There are a number that benefit from having a standing desk instead of a traditional desk. These include chronic conditions such as:

  • cervicogenic headaches
  • back pain
  • joint pain
  • high blood pressure
  • discogenic pain
  • neck pain
  • bad circulation

Does the Standing Desk Really Help Alleviate Pain?

I got my standing desk about six months ago and I haven't had to make a trip to the chiropractor for debilitating hip and leg pain since. Does it kind of suck standing all day? Sure. But I feel better.

Read More: Your Headache Might Be Caused by Crossing Your Legs 

What Other Benefits Does a Standing Desk Have?

And the benefits aren't just for people with chronic conditions. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome. Too much sitting overall and prolonged periods of sitting also seem to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer."

I've noticed that when I stand, I move more. I'll raise my legs, stretch, and squat some to shift weight on my feet.

My standing desk is awesome. If you are thinking of getting one, I 10/10 recommend.

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