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Road Trip Travel Tips To Avoid Back Pain
Mar 17, 2020
Let's face it, back pain is something that millions suffer with in the U.S. alone. Traveling with back pain can make sitting in a car for travel truly unbearable for some. But don't lose all hope, your back pain should not prevent you from seeing the world and enjoying the journey. The following tips will help you support your spine and reduce your pain when you travel.
Road Trip Travel Tips To Avoid Back Pain
- Adjust Your Seat. Make sure that you are as comfortable as possible from the very beginning. Empty your back pockets so that you are not sitting out of alignment. Adjust your seat so that you are close enough to the steering wheel without hunching your shoulders forward to reach the wheel. Adjust the seat height until your hips are at least as high as your knees. Make sure you can still see the road and the instruments. Be sure you are not sitting so high so that you have to bend your head down or to the side in order to see. Try to keep your chin pulled in so that your head sits straight on top of your spine. For more support at the inward curve of your lower back, use a small pillow or roll up a scarf and place it between your lower back and the seat.
- Be Sure Your Ride Is Smooth. Bumps in the road can jar your spine as well as increase pain, and with the number of potholes in some areas, it can make a grown person cry! For a smoother ride, consider riding in a passenger car as opposed to a pickup or an SUV. Tune-up the vehicle by replacing shocks and tires to reduce bumps, vibration and shaking.
- Take Breaks Often. Driving can be challenging, stressful and tiring work. Take frequent breaks in order to avoid driver fatigue, minimize postural discomfort and allow you to stand up and move around. Suggested breaks are at least a 15-minute break for every 2 hours of driving. If you’re prone to back pain triggers from car travel, you may want to take breaks more frequently, such as every 30 to 60 minutes.
- Be Prepared to Take Hot/Cold Therapy On The Road. Many back pain sufferers find that applying cold or heat therapy is a good way to ease the pain on a long road trip. Be sure that regardless of which therapy works for you that you use them for 15 -20 minutes at a time and use a cloth barrier to prevent skin irritation. Cold therapy can help lessen inflammation and swelling. Consider bringing a cooler to store DIY ice packs or reusable ice packs. Heat therapy aids in increasing blood flow and relaxing the muscles. Various types of heat therapy are available to buy, such as plug-in heat wraps or heat pads.
- Do Daily Exercises Especially When Traveling. One of the most crucial things that people with low back pain can do is to stay as physically active as possible in daily life and exercise regularly. This is even more true when traveling, this is not the time to choose not to do your routine back exercises. When traveling, muscles become tight and stiff. It's important to do the daily exercises your Chiropractor or Physical Therapist recommends even while traveling. Bring a tennis ball or foam roller along for the ride as well to work out those sore muscles while taking breaks on the road.
- Try To Relax. While driving, our bodies can easily tense up in response to other drivers, pedestrians, and our current emotions. Try resting your head back on the headrest and relax, your neck and shoulders won’t be as tense and subjected to upper back and neck pain. While it may feel unusual at first, eventually, this will begin to feel good. Meditating for a few moments while you are taking your breaks and stretching can also relax and release tight muscles by sending breath into them and consciously relaxing as you exhale.
The Takeaway
Back pain while driving is a common complaint regardless of if you regularly suffer from back pain or not. Many travelers use poor posture when slouched behind the wheel or while in the passenger’s seat, leading to back pain flare-ups. Use the tips above to avoid having your next road trip turn into a pain in the back.
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