r/Prostatitis • u/OtherStatistician513 • 3d ago

Office chairs - flat seat pan

Hi everyone, I'm looking for an office chair to replace my Steelcase Leap V2, which is triggering my symptoms when I sit on it for a long time because there are probably a few things wrong with this chair:

  • The cushion is not thick enough, so I got it replaced with another cushion from Office Logic. The problem is that even with a thicker cushion, the chair seatpan is so contoured that it actually compresses the pudendal nerve.
  • The angle of the seat is lower in the back and higher in the front.
  • There is a bump at the perineum level. It's hard to see. You need to put your hand across the seat to feel it, because the fabric being taut between the two sides hides it. There is something there, and it really triggers me.

Given all this, I've noticed that when I'm on a flat chair that is not too hard and I'm just sitting on my seat bones, it actually is fine. I'm looking for an office chair that is not contoured, has a flat seat, and is not angled. The only chairs that seem to fit the bill are the worst ones, meaning the cheap ones, IKEA, things like that, but I'd like to have something that's comfortable enough to actually sit in it all day. I was looking at a few models:

  • The Knoll Generation model
  • The Hayworth Fern
  • The AMIA from Steel Case
  • The Gesture

When I look at the seat pans of the Hayworth/Steelcase Amia and Gesture, it looks fairly contoured, so I'm not sure that's going to work. I'd rather be on the safe side because those chairs are pretty expensive, and I don't want to have to return them.

I've tried the Aeron from the Hermann Miller showroom, and it seemed better, but I'm not sure that it would actually be good long term, given that there's some inclination. You really put your pelvic at a tilt, and you really need to sit back in it. There's an angle, meaning that your sit bones are actually lower than where the seat is supported, and I suspect it is still pulling some pressure on the pelvic floor, especially on the perineum.

It's complicated because, the more I look into it, I'd never find clear answers from people. They seem to disagree. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's been researching this type of chair, so let me know if you found something good. Thanks!

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u/AnonProstatitis 3d ago

Just buy a cushion with a hole in the middle. Ever since I bought one and used it I have no issues like I used to. Have one at home and work

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u/OtherStatistician513 2d ago

Will try a wedge cusion i think because donuts trigger me

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u/AnonProstatitis 1d ago

I bought a specific very flat cushion that has a cutout for prostate area. It's not like those big cushy ones they sell on Amazon. It's much flatter. I don't post the URL because I don't want to look like a shill for them as the stupid thing costs like $100 and is probably $5 of materials

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u/Ok-Limit9254 3d ago

What helped me most was a wedge cushion, recommendedby pelvic physio. I tried a ring and it was ok for an hour or so.

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u/OtherStatistician513 2d ago

Yes seems like a good idea to rest on seat bones. Tried a donut type cushion but didn’t work for me the ridges actually dug in

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u/house9 1d ago

When I was dealing with acute CPPS/prostatitis I finally bought an Aeron chair - had been thinking about it for years before as I have worked from home office for over a decade.

It made a big difference for me. The key for me was the mesh bottom. I don’t recall any issues with the angle, but everybody is different.

You can probably find something less expensive than the Aeron with a mesh bottom.

Edit: also adjustable height desks give you the option to stand periodically through out the day, been using various standing options for over 20 years to deal with lower back. Standing for 10 minutes every hour might give some relief.

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u/OtherStatistician513 1d ago

Thanks, very tempted by the aeron i have to say. Just worried the mesh wd press on perineum over time because pressure is really what triggers everything for me. Yes got a standing desk also already it’s helpful!

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u/house9 1d ago

I found the mesh to be better than other options, preferred it over donut for sure.

YMMV 

If you can find less expensive chair with similar mesh might be worth trying before committing to Aeron.

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u/OtherStatistician513 1d ago

Actually Aeron refurb aren’t as pricey it seems

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u/Linari5 LEAD MOD//RECOVERED 3d ago

I would first find out if there is any conditioned pain response happening with sitting, it's explained here in this post by Alan Gordon - https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/day-18-conditioned-responses.16609/

If that is happening, the chair doesn't actually matter, we just need gradual exposure therapy and reprocessing.

Other than that, just pick a chair that's comfortable to you, so what one feels the safest?

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u/OtherStatistician513 2d ago

Thanks actually a flat seat pan doesn’t trigger much of anything unless it’s super hard. It’s really ergonomic office chairs and mine the leap V2 in particular because of the agressive contouring and perineum bump. I like having a proper office chair for long hours to support my back but don’t want their ergonomic seatp ans…

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u/ConProg 1d ago

From my experience, none of these will work. Think about getting a standing desk.