You Can Now Eliminate the Gruelling Back Pain Experienced While Driving

Overlooking back pain while driving can often lead to serious spine issues. A feeling of discomfort while driving your car should be an alarm bell that has to be taken seriously. Go through the below-mentioned points to eliminate the experience of an overused and sore back.

Posture and seat arrangement

Our spine works the best when it rests in its natural S shape, but drivers tend to hunch and slump behind the wheel very often. You must try to align your whole back to the back of your seat. Make sure that you adjust the steering and the pedals so that your back never leaves your seat.

Plus, make sure that the seat’s height allows you to see the road comfortably. Your hips and knees should not be misaligned with your foot, or you will hit the steering in case of an emergency brake. You might also like to square up the shoulders in such a way that you do not have to forward your elbows for taking turns. Also, adjust your side and back mirror in perfect position with your eyesight.

If you want to considerably reduce the back pain, also assess other aspects such as your sitting posture in the office, sleeping posture, or way of walking since these can cause your spine to curve and cause back pain, which could get severe during long hours of driving. You can look for remedies such as an orthopedic mattress or an office chair with additional back support (from websites such as https://www.officemonster.co.uk/).

Steering wheel

Apart from the whole back, head and shoulders, you must also keep an eye on the placement of your arms. For the most comfortable ride, you can hold the wheel at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock or even lower. Normally, we tend to hold the wheel at 10 o’ clock and 2 o’ clock, which involves our back muscles while putting great pressure on our wrist muscles.

Exercises

Long drives can be hectic even after sitting in the best posture possible. In such cases, we must focus on relaxing our muscles every now and then. One of the methods of refreshing our muscle is by exercising every time we stop our vehicle.

Try to rotate your neck anti-clockwise and clockwise till the moment you feel a bit light. Then, you will have to rest your head on the right and then leave aside for some time. To complete the circuit, rotate the shoulders anti-clockwise and then clockwise. Not only will these exercises remove the stiffness, but they will also provide enough warmth to keep inflexibility away. However, if you do not notice much difference with this technique, it is suggested that you seek the assistance of a physical therapist. He can suggest better exercises or treatments like functional dry needling, depending on the intensity of your situation.

Besides, drinking more water can minimize dehydration risks and improves our muscle’s capability to support our structure.

Extra tweaks

Back pain has often been associated with inflammation. If you are suffering from acute back pain, then carrying an ice pack is a smart idea. The cold press eliminates inflammation and soreness while giving your relief from the body heat. There are numerous car refrigerators available in the markets that are custom made to fit your vehicle. If the pain persists, however, then it is not advisable to continue with home remedies and tweaks. You might want to consult a general practitioner or even a spine specialist (neurosurgeon) such as Dr Timothy Steel who can perform check ups and recommend exercises, medicine, or therapy accordingly.

That said, car cushions have always been a favourite among professional drivers. They work to mitigate the vibrations caused by the bouncing and jolting of the car. Thus, the probability of any nerve tension decreases drastically. On the other hand, you must maintain adequate air in the tires.

Have a safe journey! A car ride is not meant to degrade your health. Staying alert and aware is your only option for good health.