For many people with back or neck pain, the anticipation of having to travel can be daunting. The seats in cars, airplanes, buses, and trains aren’t always the most comfortable and sitting still for an extended period of time can aggravate painful areas in the back and neck. Consider the following tips when traveling as a way to reduce or completely avoid some of the aggravations that are too often experienced.
Lift Luggage in Stages
Back strain often occurs when you’re bent over and twisted particularly when lifting a heavy item. This is because muscles are stretched to the end of their reach. We recommend not only moving slowly when lifting but also avoiding twisting at the same time and break the action into smaller parts whenever possible. When lifting a bag into an overhead bin, face the bin straight on; lift it first to the top of the seat; then place it into the bin in separate motions. Similarly, loading a suitcase in the trunk of a car can be broken into two steps: lifting it first to the bumper and then lifting it into the trunk. Other important lifting tips:
- Bend at the knees and use leg muscles rather than back.
- Face your target surface whenever possible. If you can’t, pivot with the feet so that your hips are always facing the surface you’re lifting from and to.
- Carry heavy items as close to the body as possible.
- Distribute weight evenly on each side of the body.
- If carrying one shoulder bag, wear strap across your chest to share the load or switch sides often to avoid stressing one side of the back
Bring your Own Back Support
Seats in cars, trains, planes etc. often don’t provide the right type of support for your back and/or neck. A lumbar support pillow can often arch your back and force you to over-reach through your upper back and shoulders. The best alternative is to use a mid-back support, such as the BackBone Cushion, which fully supports your spine and gets you out of the groove of the seat that is forcing you to slump. This can be attached to most seats comfortably and support your back where it needs it most: between your shoulder blades. If you don’t have one, you can roll up a jacket or blanket and put it between your shoulder blades. An inflatable travel pillow that fits around the neck can help avoid neck strain by providing head support while resting or sleeping in a sitting position.
Support Your Feet
Proper support for the low back also requires bottom-up leverage from your feet. If your feet are not placed on a firm surface while sitting, additional stress is transferred to your spine. Therefore, if your seat is too high, try to rest your feet on a footrest (or something that can act as a footrest) to keep your knees at a right angle and avoid stressing the low back. While driving, resting both feet on the floor provides more support for your back than if one foot is on the gas. You may consider using cruise control for longer drives.
Pack Light
A heavy bag can be more than just an inconvenience—it can cause or aggravate back pain by straining muscles and joints. To avoid unnecessary strain, use a light suitcase with wheels and a handle for rolling it. Even when using a suitcase with wheels, you will probably need to lift it to go up or down stairs, in and out of the car, etc. Therefore, instead of stuffing one large suitcase full, it’s often better to use a few smaller bags. If you have the luxury of pre-planning, sometimes sending some of what you need, ahead of time, to your hotel can limit the stress of carrying everything with you on the trip.
Move as Much as Possible
The spine is designed to move. Sitting in one position for extended periods of time stiffens the back muscles because they are getting less blood flow. Get up, stretch, and move around frequently (every 20 to 30 minutes if possible) to move get efficient blood flow to your muscles and joints. Movement stimulates blood flow and blood brings important nutrients and oxygen to the structures of the back. This helps prevent soft tissues in the back from stiffening and aching after sitting for a long time. Even 10 seconds of movement and stretching is better than sitting still. Movement also helps prevent blood clots from forming in the leg (called deep vein thrombosis), which is one of the most dangerous risks of sitting still for long periods.
FINAL THOUGHTS: If you have any more questions about how to decrease pain when you travel or would like to talk with someone about your vehicle ergonomics, feel free to reach out to us at hello@backbonecushion.com. We’re here to help get you back on track without the pain!