If you’re getting lower back pain, or generalised back pain when you’re driving, you may be wondering how to avoid it – especially if driving is part of your job or you drive regularly. Firstly, you’ll need to establish the severity of the problem by looking at how long it takes for the symptoms to appear. Is it that you’re driving 5 minutes down the road to the shops and getting back pain? Is it that it’s after just a couple of hours? Or is it after a 5-6 hour drive travelling or into your job if you’re a driver? If your problem is the latter, then you really need to be aware that the back pain is going to happen and sitting down for multiple hours will exacerbate the problem, no matter how careful you may be, especially in early phases of rehabilitation. Most people, even without a history of back pain, will be uncomfortable and stiff if they sit down for such a long period – even more so if they’re slouching.
If you’re getting back pain after just a few minutes in the car, no matter where it is your back, you’ll need to make some small lifestyle changes that will help to leave you in less pain during your car journey, help you to suffer less after you’re finished driving and in general have a more pleasant driving experience. The tips we’re going to be sharing today can also be taken away and applied to other aspects of your life as well – such as sitting at work all day, sitting in the cinema, relaxing in the evening etc.
How To Change Your Posture
The fundamental principles we’re going to share with you today are really applicable to any long-term sitting position, but particularly for people who experience pain after just a few minutes of being sat down. Firstly, and most important, is your posture. You should be adopting a nice, smooth curve in your lower back. Some cars, especially sports cars, often have bucket seats that encourage a slouched position. It’s common to slouch because it can seem more comfortable, but this sends more pressure to the discs in your lower back.
Over time, this compression can cause you back pain, as well as potentially cause discs to slip or bulge. So, if you have lumbar support in the seats of your car, try to make use of them, and if you don’t, try to be more mindful of sitting with good posture. If you’re getting lower back pain, sitting with correct posture is going to take the pressure off your discs. By reorienting the curve everything moves back into a more balanced state of affairs. Holding that position while you’re driving is going to be much more helpful for your problem, and should start to help you resolve some of those issues. Making those changes, you should more or less instantly notice a difference. Another thing to bear in mind is keeping just one hand on the wheel. Men tend to be a little more guilty of this than women, but be nice and square with both hands on the wheel. Don’t lean onto one side. Make sure you’re sitting square, with support in your lower back.
Treatment In Severe Cases
Ultimately, if it’s a problem you’re suffering with on an ongoing basis, and you’re struggling to sit for just a couple of minutes before your back pain comes on – you really should be finding someone who can give you some ongoing treatment. With that kind of problem, there’s a good chance there is something going on in your spine, depending on where the pain is. Actually seeing someone who can assess your condition properly and get to the bottom of the problem, will be able to help you much more effectively. If you do have discomfort when sitting down for longer periods of time, this is a warning sign of something going on in your spine, so it’s better to deal with it when it’s at the stage of a minor discomfort, rather than leaving it until you can’t get to work because you’re in so much pain.
When it comes to your back health, be responsible. Look after yourself. We know from personal experience that it’s much easier, and a generally simpler process, to treat someone before they have a crisis and become severe. If the person is just in discomfort, it can also generally take fewer sessions to resolve the issue compared to when you’re actually trying to get them off crutches. Invariably, you’re limited to what order you can go through rehabilitation with that patient, and they’re generally likely to not have a linear recovery process. When people come in to the clinic in excruciating pain or they’re on crutches, it’s also something that likely built up over a small period of time. If you seek help as soon as you’re starting to feel the odd ache, pain or discomfort, you’ll likely improve with treatment a lot quicker
If you’re suffering with back or neck pain and are based in the London area, contact us today to see how we can help you. To discuss your case with a team member, call us on 0203 947 3222 or email us at info@themayfairclinic.com. If you want to learn how to strengthen your back and core to resolve back injuries, make sure to check out our Back In Shape program at https://backinshape.themayfairclinic.com/join-now – effective back exercises developed by our back pain specialists.
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