Easing Low Back Pain on Road Trips

Approximate reading time: 3 minutes

You’ve done your back but the borders have finally opened up. You are ready and raring to get out on the road but you are worried about your low back pain.

9 Handy Tips to Save your Back on Road Trips

Take regular breaks

This one is probably so obvious we don’t need to say it. We’ve included it because frequently your partner, family or friends need reminding.

Drink plenty of water. Not only is water great for keeping muscles loose but it’ll also force frequent bathroom breaks.

Remember that sitting is a common cause of back pain. It also accumulates throughout the day.

• Pro Tip: Aim for a 10-15 minute break every 1-2 hours if not sooner. If you can only drive 30 minutes, then listen to your body.

Stretches

Perform your favourite lower back stretches when you have a break.

There’s a few sneaky ones you can do in the car too:

Getting In and Out

We don’t think about how we get in and out of the car most of the time. Easy to not think about the mundane when you aren’t in pain.

Focus on sitting into the car facing the door and then swivelling around. A common way to hurt your discs is bending and twisting so don’t do it while getting into and out of the car.

Low Back Support

Your lower back should have a C-shaped curve to it. This curve provides shock absorption and protects the discs.

That makes this one very logical - support the natural curve of your back.

You can roll up a t-shirt or towel and pop in the curve of your lower back. Otherwise the easy option is buy one! They are cheap and they tend to last years- I’ve had mine for almost 5 years.

Pain Distractors

Ideally we do what we can to avoid aggravating your pain but when all else fails, distract yourself. Stock up on your favourite podcasts, curate a road trip playlist or, if you can stomach it, something to read.

Just breath

When we hold our breath, we hold tension in the body. When we breath shallowly, we can get tight through the front of the hips, mid-back and neck & shoulders.

Take a few deep breaths into your belly. Focus on your belly rising as you inhale and sinking in as you exhale.

If you find this too relaxing, don’t do while you’re driving! Safety comes first.

Use Cruise Control

If you are driving, using cruise control can give your back a relative rest. When we put our feet on the pedals, we frequently turn out feet and hips out by activating the piriformis muscle. This “pain in the butt” muscle can pinch on the sciatic nerve and if you pain, weakness, numbness and tingling down the leg.

When you can safely use cruise control, place both your feet flat on the floor.

Bonus tip:

Emergency Chiropractic

If you do your back while away, know that you might be able to get out of hours treatments, like we offer.

Google or find someone local here.

If you already know you have an injury, you could ask your chiropractor to write a quick note for a local chiropractor to treat you while you are away.

Online Appointments

While a little different a concept, you can see your chiropractor online. Your chiropractor can assess your low back pain, provide an estimated diagnosis and give you exercises and advice to relieve your pain.

Find out more here.