Whether you’re a long-haul trucker who traverses the highways for work, a civilian driver on a long road trip, or someone who has a commute from the suburbs to work, sitting in the same position for a long time can raise your risk of developing or aggravating back problems significantly. Driving requires you to sit still (and if you don’t, then for obvious safety reasons you should be), and over time, can put a real strain on your spine. If you already have back problems, then driving long distances can make the pain worse. How the vehicle continuously vibrates can raise your risk for upper back, neck, and lower back issues. The more often you drive, the more the risk goes up. Here are some tips to make driving long distances more comfortable, and ways to prevent aggravating spinal issues while driving.

How Driving Can Take A Toll On Your Spine

Driving long distances doesn’t just force you to sit in one position for an extended period of time, but also subjects your body to vibrations and movements as the vehicle goes down the road. As the vehicle speeds up, slows down, and turns corners, your spine is continuously absorbing the shock. Speed bumps, potholes, and sudden stops all jerk your body around, yanking your tendons, ligaments, and bones up and down and side to side, often forcefully. And your spine is taking all that impact because when you’re driving, your feet are on the brake pedal, accelerator, and clutch. Without your feet free to stabilize or support your body, all of that impact is (again) going straight to your spine. To compound the issue, normal vehicle seats are normally not the most ergonomically optimized, and don’t provide adequate lumbar support. Just sitting in the seat for long periods of time can cause or aggravate back pain. 

Unavoidable Back Pain

You may not be able to control how long you have to spend on the road, or how much traffic you get stuck in, but there are some actional steps you can take while driving to lower your risk of creating new back problems or compounding existing issues, including:

• Using proper lumbar support: A rolled-up towel or small pillow behind your back offers support to your lumbar spine if your vehicle doesn’t include built-in adjustments
• Optimizing your seat: Adjust the back to a more upright position for an ergonomically optimal position and move your seat closer to the steering wheel so you don’t slouch.
• Take advantage of cruise control: When it’s safe to do so, use cruise control so you can keep your feet on the floor and stabilize your body
• Take frequent breaks: Schedule frequent stops to avoid the stiffness that comes from remaining in a single position. Stop and stretch when you feel your neck and shoulders getting tense. 

Contact Us Today

At The Spine and Scoliosis Center, we see the long-term effects of driving with back pain. The spine specialists at our clinic can help you relieve back pain, reduce discomfort, and deal with spine-related health problems. Call The Spine and Scoliosis Center today to schedule an appointment with a spinal specialist.