Is a certain type of chair necessary for good posture and skeletal alignment?

[Bruce Achterberg]

This thread is an off-shoot of the Improving your posture thread.

I'd like a new chair solution for use with my computer since my current chair (a generic chair I bought from Office Works a few years ago) and the sitting habits that go along with it are breaking my back (not literally, but you get the idea ).

I know there are some really snazzy chairs available that are specially designed for the human body (and capable of clearing out your savings account), but I've heard from some people that it's not so much the chair you have, but the posture habits and bodily awareness you bring to the chair (i.e. proper understanding and use of your muscles; knowing when to take breaks, etc).

In other words, it seems that even with a chair that is designed to perfectly suit the human body, it won't help you much if you lack good posture habits and bodily awareness.

That said, it seems reasonable to think that some chairs would be better than others.

What chairs actively support good posture habits and bodily awareness?

What posture habits and bodily awareness methods (or practices or modalities) actively support good chairs?

What works for you?

Have you asked those same questions and found a superior set of questions (and answers) that provided you with the results I seek?

Basically, I'm looking for a chair as well as a posture management system that will synergistically work together to give me the best chance at maintaining excellent skeletal alignment.

I'm okay with doing (or educating myself about) some sort of "good practice posture system" (e.g. the Alexander method, pilates, yoga, etc) and paying money for a decent chair so long as they provide me with long-term positive results.

[funchy]

I have a history of back problems. I bought a chair with a full-height back and I didn't buy the cheapest one they had. I like chairs that are adjustable in many directions so I can get it to fit my body better.

However, I think significant relief from backpain comes from NOT sitting in any chair. the more active I am, the better off my back is. The more frequent breaks from sitting, the better. The addition of one good period of exercise a day helps. More body awareness, posture, developing muscular balance, and learning to lift efficiently also helped a lot.