How to prevent back pain on long trips
Travel is exciting, but it can also take a toll on your body. The long periods of sitting in cars, trains or planes can put your back in agony with no clear remedy. But before you decide to give in and bear the discomfort, there are things you can do before and during the trip to help alleviate the pain.
Sit right
Changing your posture or position can help make the journey more comfortable. To reduce the amount of strain on your back, you can place a pillow between your lower back and the seat or under your buttocks.
Get up and stretch
If possible, move around for five minutes per hour to keep your muscles active. Physiotherapist Adrian Traeger advised keeping your back moving. “In terms of specific stretches, there’s not one golden stretch,” he told the ABC. “But getting up and walking around … doing some bending backward, bending forward, those kinds of general movements can certainly help.”
Stay hydrated
The dry environment of airplane cabins and cars can dehydrate the body, including the spinal discs – which makes them more vulnerable to stress, bulging or tearing, according to Talal W Khan, MD, director of pain management at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
“Start hydrating several days before your trip,” Dr Khan told Conde Nast Traveler. “Dehydration can make joint stiffness and back issues worse.”