3 Ways To Prevent A Stiff Neck And Back While Driving Long Distances

We may not always think about it, but while we’re driving our neck and back are experiencing small amounts of stress that can eventually add up to future injuries. If you’re a long-distance truck driver or are taking a road trip to visit family, it’s always good to take care of your body along the way. To ensure that your drive goes smoothly, try these three techniques for keeping your neck and back feeling their best:

Placing A Seat Cushion Underneath You

Since most people don’t use seat cushions on a daily basis, they can often be forgotten. However, if you’re traveling long distances, they can make a huge difference in how your body feels throughout your trip. It can provide extra support and cushion, improve circulation, and help with your posture. Many car seats aren’t equipped with ergonomic-friendly seats. By placing a memory foam or gel seat cushion underneath you, you’ll help alleviate pressure on your tailbone and help you sit up straight.

Using A Small Pillow For Lumbar Support

If your car seat has lumbar support built in, adjust the seat so that it fills in the space at your lower back. If your seat doesn’t provide this, our Next Level Wellness team suggests getting a lumbar support cushion to place behind you while driving. This is one of the biggest things that will keep your back from feeling stiff, sore, and tired. By providing yourself with lumbar support, you’re preventing your body from sitting in a slumped position and stops prolonged flexion stresses.

Implementing Good Posture

Just like sitting at a desk, sitting at the wheel of a car should be comfortable and alleviate strain on your body. Before you head off on your trip, make sure that the back of your seat is just shy of being straight up and down. This position will allow your back to relax in its normal state, but will still encourage you to sit straight up instead of hunching over or arching too far back; both strain the neck as well as the back. Next, check to make sure that your headrest touches the middle part of the back of your head and adjust your mirrors so that they give you the widest field of vision. Both of these will help prevent you from straining your neck and will keep your body aligned properly.

Our chiropractic team of wellness doctors, Vasili Gatsinaris, DC, QME, James Kim, DC, Adam Abulghualya, DC, BS, ART and Caprice Leonard, MA, ATC specialize in chiropractic and wellness care, especially for workplace injuries. Our Irvine chiropractic office is located near John Wayne Airport, convenient for people living in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Santa Ana and other surrounding Orange County communities.

Let our Orange County chiropractic team make a plan and treat your injury so that you are not restricted from your active lifestyle. To learn more about our variety of services or to schedule an appointment, take advantage of our Facebook new patient special and contact us or call 949-263-9003 today.