Many people have spent some time traveling, whether for work or pleasure. Some people love it; some people hate it. Either way, back pain is bound to dampen your traveling experience.
Back pain is the leading cause of disability in people under 45, so you should take steps to manage this issue before it worsens.
Back Pain and Traveling
Whether you already suffer from back pain or not, traveling can trigger pain. Traveling often disrupts your movement routine. People who travel tend to alternate between bursts of intense movement — such as long-distance walks with a heavy backpack while sightseeing — and long periods of inactivity. The combination of increased and decreased activity puts strain on your muscles.
It’s no secret that back pain and flying aren’t a good combination. A sedentary lifestyle is the cause of back pain in more than 50% of cases, and travelers often spend long stretches being sedentary. People who regularly fly will spend a lot of time in cramped plane seats and cannot move around much, contributing to their back pain. Long train or bus commutes in and out of work also mean you spend a lot of time sitting. And while many prefer to travel via car instead of plane when going on holiday because of the reduced costs, this form of traveling can also cause back pain.
If you already have back pain, a long travel session will likely worsen your symptoms, so consider booking an appointment with a chiropractor either before or after your travels to try and mitigate the issue. Chiropractic adjustments before a trip can reduce your risk of pain during travel, as they can help with spinal alignment.
How to Avoid Back Pain While Traveling
The fact is that sitting for extended periods will cause back pain, and in most cases, traveling requires sitting for long periods. Therefore, traveling often causes or worsens back pain. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to avoid back pain while traveling. Take proactive steps to care for your back throughout all phases of travel — before, during and after traveling.
How to Avoid Back Pain Before Traveling
Many people feel overwhelmed in the days and hours leading up to a trip, so set aside some time to devise a plan of action to help you avoid back pain. Make a list of supplies you need, and pack them all into a small bag you can easily access during your trip.
Here are some items you may want to keep on hand:
- Medication: If a medical professional has prescribed medication to help with your back pain, keep it on hand in case you need it during your travels. You may also want to grab some over-the-counter pain medication before your trip. If you are flying, keep your medication in your carry-on luggage for easy access.
- Heat packs or cold packs: Both heat and cold can help ease back pain symptoms, so it’s a good idea to have some hot or cold packs on hand. Of course, if you are flying, you may not get the chance to heat your hot packs or keep your cold packs cool, but you should still pack them so you have them ready to go when you land. Alternatively, look into chemically activated cold packs and hot packs you can use anytime.
Aside from packing items that can ease your pain, you should also think of things you can do ahead of time to make traveling easier on your back. Here are some ideas:
- Check your bag: Even if your bag is small enough to classify as hand luggage when flying, you should still check what you can and keep a small bag with essentials on you. Checking your luggage will save you the effort of carrying heavy bags around and also spare you from stretching to put your luggage into the overhead cabin storage.
- Pack light: Pack light, whether you’re flying for business, driving to vacation or walking to work. The lighter you pack, the easier the journey will be on your back. If you are camping or sightseeing and need a backpack with you at all times, select a well-padded bag that evenly distributes weight.
How to Avoid Back Pain During Travel
Preparing for your trip ahead of time is a great first step, but you still have work to do. The trip itself is often the most challenging part of traveling with back pain. You may be unable to get comfortable, and if you find yourself confined to a seat, you can’t walk around or stretch to ease your back pain as much as you’d like.
Still, there are a few things you can do to avoid and alleviate back pain:
- Plant your feet: Though this may seem like a simple tip, keeping your feet planted on the ground can significantly improve your posture and back pain.
- Avoid tech neck: The infamous “tech neck” is an issue many of us deal with due to how much time we spend staring at our phones, laptops or other technological devices. When you’re a passenger, it’s natural to want to spend your time scrolling away on these devices, but you need to ensure you aren’t spending all your time bending your neck and straining your spine. Instead, look into portable stands or phone holders to keep your devices at eye level to avoid flying with back pain.
- Move when you can: Despite having limited opportunities for movement during travel, you should try to avoid sitting still for too long. If possible, try to get up at least once an hour. Walk around the plane, or stop the car to stretch your legs. You can also do seated stretches and roll your ankles, wrists and neck to keep your joints from getting too stiff.
- Keep good posture: As tempting as it may be to fall into the habit of slouching, this will only worsen your back pain. Instead, keep a good posture, with a straight back to support your spine. If you are on a train or plane and will be sleeping, try to sleep on your back since sleeping on your side or stomach isn’t good for your back.
How to Ease Back Pain From Travel
You may feel immense stress relief once your travels are over, especially if your back pain bothered you while traveling. However, your back pain likely won’t immediately go away on its own. Instead, you will need to implement some steps to help you manage the pain:
- Do some movement: Now that you’re not confined to a seat or small area anymore, try to get your body moving. Don’t overdo it, though — this isn’t the time to pump weights at the gym. Instead, take it easy. Go for a gentle walk to relax your muscles, or do some simple stretches. According to Harvard, our muscles often get tight when we sit for long periods, and stretching is one way to combat this tightness. Choose stretches that you can do in small areas like hotel rooms.
- Get some rest: If possible, try not to do too much on the day of your travels. Leave the sightseeing and adventures for later, and try to get some rest so that your body can recover from the tension that long trips often bring with them.
- See a chiropractor: If you suffer from chronic back pain or your back pain seems more severe than usual after a trip, schedule an appointment with a chiropractor once you’re back home.
Receive Chiropractic Help for Back Pain From Traveling
At Thrive Chiropractic Group, we have the expertise needed to alleviate your back pain. Learn more about our services to see how we can help you, or schedule an appointment to take the next step in improving your back pain!