For many families, summer brings summer travel. In the Philadelphia area, where I live, half of the city makes a weekly exodus ‘Down the Shore’ to Ocean City or Atlantic City.
With all of this added time in the car, I can usually count on some phone calls for urgent back pain visits on Mondays. If you and your family plan to take some weekend trips this summer, here are a few suggestions for avoiding back pain.
- Roll up a towel or t-shirt to use as a lumbar support. Place it in the small of your back to help maintain a normal lumbar curve.
- Get out of the car and stretch every hour or so. Sure, you're in a rush to get where you are going -- but what’s the point if you’re hurting when you arrive?
- Stay hydrated: Water keeps your tissues lubricated. This will also force you out of the car, so you can stretch (see above).
- Adjust your mirrors. Back in driver’s ed, you learned how to do this before you start your trip for clear views of the road. Adjust them so that your neck is in a comfortable, neutral position; you shouldn't have to change the position of your head when switching from the rear-view to the side-view mirror.
- Flex your neck. When you’re stopped at a light, turn your head to the left and to the right, slowly, a couple of times, as far as is comfortable for you, to maintain range of motion.
- Check your reach. Adjust your seat so your arms don’t extend straight out, and yet don’t bend too sharply at the elbows. Your legs should extend out in front of you so that your knees don’t fall outwards, putting strain on your hips.
Hope these tips help you to arrive pain-free. Happy motoring!
Andrew Kirschner, D.O., is a board-certified physician with a private practice in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and a consultancy in Miami, Florida. He specializes in treating individuals and couples with musculoskeletal and back pain. To learn more about his practice, please visit BackTogether.org.
From: My newest post on Martha Stewart Whole Living Daily Blog: Pain-free Summer driving « BackWords | 6/29/10 at 8:06 am
[...] Here is the link to my most recent post on Martha Stewart’s Whole Living Daily blog- some tips and suggestions for preventing back pain while driving to some of those Summer trips you may be taking. Enjoy, and travel safely! [...]
From: highervibe | 7/2/10 at 8:55 am
Carry a pair of tennis balls and work them around under you back, hips or buttocks. My PT showed me this low-tech trick years ago when I often used to fly cross country.