Why Do My Legs Ache When I Sit In a Recliner? Proper Guide & Tips (2022)

A recliner is an absolutely amazing piece of furniture that’s made from the ground up to be extremely comfortable. You can easily have a nap, sleep, and spend extended hours of your day in a recliner. But, if your legs ache when you sit in a recliner, something is clearly wrong here.

Recliners have footrests that are specifically installed to make them easy for your feet. If your legs are still aching, there’s some sort of incompatibility here that is causing you pain.

Here’s everything you need to know about the causes and the solutions.

Treating an Aching Leg Caused by a Recliner

Step 1: If you want the answer to the question ‘why does my leg ache when I sit in a recliner’, the first thing you should check is the height of the recliner. The recliner should be high enough that your feet are allowed to rest comfortably on the floor. At the same time, the recliner shouldn’t be too high which would keep your legs in the air. Similarly, it should sit too low that your knees are the highest part of your legs.

Step 2: If your pain isn’t going away as soon as you stop using a recliner, then it might be a good idea to visit a doctor. The pain you experience sitting in a recliner isn’t necessarily the recliner’s fault. You might have some existing ailment that is getting triggered because of the recliner. You might have some blood circulation issues that are causing a flare-up when you sit in the recliner.

Step 3. If you don’t use a footrest, pillow, or any supporting item like this, this may be a possible reason for the leg pain. You should always buy a recliner that has some way to support your legs. If you don’t have something like that, consider using a stool to prop up your legs.

Things To Help Control Leg Pain When Reclining

Footrest

People with leg ailments like plantar fasciitis or those recovering from surgery frequently use a footrest to relieve pressure on their feet. It is usually a small, low stool with or without armrests that can be utilized as an extra seat in the living room when more seating is required. Recliners usually have a built-in footrest. If yours doesn’t, it’s highly recommended to buy one.

Pillow

A pillow placed behind your leg muscles to provide support when sitting in a recliner may assist in relieving muscle strain pain. This promotes blood circulation to your legs, which tremendously improves leg pain.

Drapery

Cover the back of your recliner with a long, thick drape. While sitting in a chair, the drapery will ease leg discomfort by providing support to the lower body and relieving pressure on the buttock muscles by delivering a weight-bearing area.

Lumbar Support

The lumbar support in a recliner can help relieve leg pain by increasing the curvature of the spine and reducing strain on the back if you bend forward to reach your feet. You should always purchase a recliner with decent lumbar support. This is one of the most important factors you should be looking at.

Seat Cushion

A seat cushion can be utilized to add an extra layer between your thighs and the outside of a chair, preventing leg muscle strain. This helps prevent pressure points in your lower body and will allow you to sit in a recliner comfortably for longer periods of time.

Recline Angle

If you feel strain building up on your legs when sitting in the default reclining position, you should try reclining the chair. The angle of inclination should make it slightly easier on your legs and will divide the pressure evenly across your body.

Conclusion

If you keep asking yourself ‘why do my legs ache when I sit in a recliner?’, the answer is most probably the height of your recliner. If it’s not that, you could be looking at something medical. You can experiment around with a variety of supporting items, e.g., cushions, pillows, etc. A recliner is not easy to replace. So try to buy the one with many adjustments and keeping options to avoid leg pain.