5 essential tips to avoid back pain when driving

There are mainly two factors associated with back pain while driving. One is poor posture, and the other one is sitting in a fixed position over a long period of driving.

So if you are one of the people who spend a great amount of time being stuck in an uncomfortable position in the car, then we prepared Philkotse.com few useful steps that you can do in order to prevent the back pain that may cause more damage in the long run.

1. Sit on a comfortable position immediately

Always see to it that you are sitting in the most comfortable position before hitting the road to your destination. What you see as an insignificant nuisance will eventually turn into a really bad predicament later on.

Your back pockets must be kept empty. The reason for this is sitting on bulky objects, like your phone and wallet, will cause some serious misalignment in your spine. So take time to remove everything out of your pocket.

Always make sure that you are sitting up straight, knees must be a bit higher than the hips. See to it that your chin is kept pulled in. This is to make sure that your head perfectly aligns with your spine.

Jaguar's Guide to the Perfect Driving Position

Maintain a comfortable distance from the car’s steering wheel. With regards to airbag safety, observe at least ten inches distance of your breastbone from the steering wheel and having your hands at nine and three o’clock position on its sides (not top and bottom).

Remember not to sit way too far either as this could result in further stress especially on your neck. It could also affect your lumbar spine, neck, and wrists for exerting more effort to reach the wheel.  

Always see to it that you are sitting in the most comfortable position before hitting the road

You should also make sure that your back is completely aligned against your seat’s back. You might also want to use a small pillow in order to support your lower back’s inward contour. You can also have a scarf rolled up and put it right in between the lower portion of your back and the car’s seat.

If you have recurring experiences of lower back and sciatica pain, there are a lot of good cushions designed to help you deal with these issues. Bear in mind that there is not really a single promising option, it will take you some constant effort and several trial and error to be able to find what fits for you.

>>> Read more: 3 simple tips for Filipino motorists to adopt a proper driving posture.

2. You have to make your ride as laid-back as possible

Often when you ride, you will be annoyed by the ugly bumps in the road. Not only these bumps are truly upsetting, but they can also jolt your spine and cause some serious pain. Consider these tips for a smoother ride experience:

• Instead of riding on a pick-up car or SUV, go for a passenger car.
• Have your worn shocks replace in order to limit the bouncing of the car
• In order to minimize the vibration and shaking, find time to replace the worn tires.
• Make it a point to sit on the car's seat cushion. This is to provide you further stuffing to make the road bumps less palpable.

Make it a point to sit on the car's seat cushion

>>> Also read: 5 tips to correct your driving position to avoid back pain.

3. Get out once in a while and move around

Sitting for too long in one position can potentially stiffen up the muscles of your back and can cause some serious aching and muscle spasm. Ideally, everyone must have a break of not less than 15 minutes for every two hours of driving. If you have recurring experiences of back pain, then it is necessary that you take a break far more frequently, let’s say every thirty to sixty minutes.

You may also have a schedule of your stops by planning it ahead. Once in a while, get out of the car, move around and maybe do some stretching. Muscle movement helps stimulate your blood circulation that facilitates the distribution of oxygen together with the essential nutrients to your lower back.

Get out of the car, move around and maybe do some stretching

>>> Relevant article: 11 exercises to do when driving to keep you in shape.

4. Occasionally shift your position

As much as possible, it is highly necessary that you move a little from time to time in your seat. Ten seconds of little muscle activity or movement is far better than just having to sit still for a long period of time. You may also want to adjust your seat at a minimum, take time to change your position a little every fifteen to twenty minutes.

It would also be beneficial if you press your ankles to facilitate blood flow and give your hamstring muscles a little stretch. Movements that are deemed safe to make inside the car will help a lot in avoiding muscle pain.

It is highly necessary that you move a little from time to time in your seat

>>> You might not know: 10 bad driving habits you need to discard right now.

5. Heat or cold therapy

A lot of people have claimed that applying heat or cold therapy can do wonders in alleviating muscle pain on a long trip. Cold therapy helps a lot in reducing inflammation and muscle swelling.

The next time you go on a long trip, have with you a cooler so that you have something to store your eco-friendly ice packs and other available cold therapy equipment. There are available cold therapy packs in the store, so find time to purchase one. Or you can make your own cold therapy pack at home.

Heat therapy facilitates an increase in blood flow and helps the muscles to relax. There is a range of types of heat therapy that you can purchase like heat wraps and heat pads. You can even have your own home-made heat moist packs. You may want to put moist heat pack inside your microwave to make it warm when you go on a long trip.

There is a range of types of heat therapy that you can purchase like heat wraps and heat pads

It is advisable that you apply cold or heat for about fifteen or twenty minutes at once, then allow your skin to rest so it will be able to cover for at least two hours before you repeat the process.

In general, it would be best to have the cold or heat therapy applied while having your break from a long ride. This is because, when you do it while driving, you may not be able to keep an eye on your skin while you are driving. It would be harder for you to make sure that your skin isn’t going through mild damage during the process of application.