Would you like to switch to the accessible version of this site?

Go to accessible site Close modal window

Don't need the accessible version of this site?

Hide the accessibility button Close modal window
Accessibility View Close toolbar
Dr. Charles Salanger & Dr. Carol Spiegelman

8304 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Suite 114

San Diego, CA 92111 US

(858) 565-8645

Open mobile navigation
  • Home
  • New Patient Center
    • Online Forms
    • Payment Options
    • Request An Appointment
  • About Us
    • Meet the Chiropractors
    • Services & Techniques
      • Workers Compensation
      • Family Care
      • Personal Injury
      • Car Accident Injury
      • Massage Therapy
  • Share Your Experience
  • Office Hours
  • Contact Us
  • Chiro Blog
  • Community Content
    • About Chiropractic Care
      • What is Chiropractic
      • How Does it Work
      • Who is Chiropractic For
      • Vertebral Subluxation
      • Wellness Resources
    • Common Conditions Treated
      • Auto Accident Injuries
      • Back and Shoulder Pain
      • Body Pain
      • Chronic Condition Relief
        • Conditions Affecting Women
        • Headaches
      • Herniated Discs
      • Improved Health
      • Pediatric Ailments
      • Repetitive Use Injuries
      • Respiratory Function
    • Health & Wellness
      • Healthy Thinking
        • Get Positive
        • Relaxation Techniques
      • Life in Motion
      • Wellness Lifestyle Tips
        • Treat Yourself Well
        • Treat Others Well
        • Eat Well
      • Wellness Essentials
        • At Home
        • At Work
        • Exercise
        • Nutrition
        • What You Wear
      • Wellness Perspectives
        • Mental
        • Spiritual
        • Social
        • Physical
    • Therapies & Techniques
      • Techniques
      • Therapies
    • Newsletter Library
      • Back, Body & Joint Pain
      • Healthy Tips
      • Exercise & Fitness
      • Injury Rehab & Prevention
      • Kid's Health
      • Illness Prevention
      • Chronic Conditions
      • Nutrition & Healthy Eating
      • Breaking Bad Habits
      • Senior Health
      • Weight Loss
      • Pregnancy & Parenting
      • Wellness
      • Mind-Body Connection
      • Stress & Anxiety
      • Life-Work Balance
      • Staying Young
      • Staying Motivated
    • Wellness4Kids
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • Newsletter Library >
  • Pain-Free Travel Tips for Your Back and Spine

Pain-Free Travel Tips for Your Back and Spine

  • Created in Newsletter Library

Man having back pain while driving car

How to Prevent Pain While Traveling

Do you suffer from neck or back pain for days after a long car, plane, bus, or train trip? Sitting for hours stresses your spine, joints, ligaments, discs, and muscles, causing those travel-related aches and pains.

How Traveling Causes Pain

After you remain in the same position for a few hours, your joints and muscles tend to tighten. When this happens, your range of motion may decrease. As a result, the slightest movement can lead to painful muscle spasms or even strained muscles. Reaching forward to change the radio station or turning your head to look out the window can trigger jolts of pain if your muscles and joints are too tight.

Long trips can aggravate existing back or neck conditions, including arthritis, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and sciatica.

Sitting affects your spine's ability to support your body adequately. When you sit, the natural curve in your lower back flattens, while pressure on your spinal discs increases, according to a study published in the Asian Spine Journal.

Seat design is another issue. Although seat designers try to accommodate a range of body types and sizes, it's difficult to construct a seat that fits everyone equally well. If the headrest is too tall to fit your neck, or the seat doesn't offer enough lower back support, you're more likely to experience some degree of pain if your trip lasts more than an hour or two.

What You Can Do to Prevent Pain

Fortunately, pain can be avoided, or at least decreased, by following a few of these suggestions:

  • Take Regular Breaks: Break long car trips into two- or three-hour-long segments. If you're a passenger in a plane or train, get up and walk up and down the aisle a few times after two or three hours. Walking not only keeps your muscles and joints limber but also reduces the risk of blood clots on long trips.
  • Try a Few Stretches: Stretching before, during, and after long trips will help keep your joints and muscles limber, reduce spasms, and prevent range of motion restrictions.
  • Be Prepared: Pack a few things that make your trip more comfortable. If long trips leave you with an aching neck and a headache, use a headrest pillow or a U-shaped neck pillow. When back pain is an issue, buy a cushion that helps support the curves of your lower back. Bring a pillow or cushion to sit on if you often develop shooting pain in your back and legs after sitting for a few hours.
  • Use Pain-Relieving Patches, Ointments, or Tape: Pain-relieving capsicum patches or ointments can help ease muscle pain, while kinesiology tape applied to your neck or shoulders can reduce stress, pain, and swelling. If cold is most helpful, bring a few cold packs to ease your pain. (If you're traveling by air, you may not be able to bring the packs.)
  • Improve the Way You Sit: Slouching increases pressure on your back and neck and can increase aches and pains. Remind yourself to maintain good posture while sitting. Keeping your seat upright will make it more difficult to slouch. If sciatica or tailbone pain is a problem for you, put most of your weight on the bones in your legs, rather than your tailbone, when you sit.
  • See Your Chiropractor: Visiting your chiropractor before and after long trips can help you avoid pain. During your pre-trip visit, your chiropractor will offer treatments to improve the alignment of your spine and reduce muscle tension. If these issues aren't corrected, you'll be much more likely to experience pain. Treatments after your trip will focus on restoring spinal alignment, eliminating spasms and muscle pain, reducing inflammation, and improving range of motion.

Do you have a long trip planned soon? Chiropractic care can enhance your comfort. Contact our office to schedule your pre- or post-trip visit.

Sources:

Edmunds: Creating the Perfect Fit: New Car Seat Design

Spine Health: 7 Tips to Alleviate Back Pain on Your Road Trips, 9/12/19

How to Stay Comfortable on Long Drives, 5/24/18

Asian Spine Journal: The Effect of Standing and Different Sitting Positions on Lumbar Lordosis: Radiographic Study of 30 Healthy Volunteers, 10/15

  • About Chiropractic Care
    • What is Chiropractic
    • How Does it Work
    • Who is Chiropractic For
    • Vertebral Subluxation
    • Wellness Resources
  • Common Conditions Treated
    • Auto Accident Injuries
    • Back and Shoulder Pain
    • Body Pain
    • Chronic Condition Relief
      • Conditions Affecting Women
      • Headaches
    • Herniated Discs
    • Improved Health
    • Pediatric Ailments
    • Repetitive Use Injuries
    • Respiratory Function
  • Health & Wellness
    • Healthy Thinking
      • Get Positive
      • Relaxation Techniques
    • Life in Motion
    • Wellness Lifestyle Tips
      • Treat Yourself Well
      • Treat Others Well
      • Eat Well
    • Wellness Essentials
      • At Home
      • At Work
      • Exercise
      • Nutrition
      • What You Wear
    • Wellness Perspectives
      • Mental
      • Spiritual
      • Social
      • Physical
  • Therapies & Techniques
    • Techniques
    • Therapies
  • Newsletter Library
    • Back, Body & Joint Pain
    • Healthy Tips
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Injury Rehab & Prevention
    • Kid's Health
    • Illness Prevention
    • Chronic Conditions
    • Nutrition & Healthy Eating
    • Breaking Bad Habits
    • Senior Health
    • Weight Loss
    • Pregnancy & Parenting
    • Wellness
    • Mind-Body Connection
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Life-Work Balance
    • Staying Young
    • Staying Motivated
  • Wellness4Kids

Sign up using the form below or call (858) 565-8645 to make an appointment.

Featured Services

Click to Find Out More

  • Services

    We strive to provide complete care for our patients. Learn more about all the services we provide.
    Learn More
  • Make an Appointment

    We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule. Schedule an appointment today!
    Schedule Now
  • Online Forms

    Our patient forms are available online so they can be completed in the convenience of your own home or office.
    View Forms

Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

8:00 am-6:30 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-12:30 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-6:30 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Locations

Find us on the map

Testimonials

Reviews By Our Satisfied Patients

  • "My back went out suddenly - for no reason. Went to 2 Dr.'s, had an X-ray - they found nothing wrong and had no recommendations. THEN a friend told me about Dr. Salanger - in 15 minutes the pain was gone and has not returned 2 weeks later. He gave me a couple exercises to do to strengthen the area. That's it - simple as that when you know what you're doing! THANK YOU Dr. Salanger!"
    Sara O. / San Diego, CA

Featured Articles

Read about interesting topics

    February Newsletter: Promoting Your Body's Natural Energy

    Want to feel more energetic? Chiropractic could help. ...

    Read More

    February Newsletter: Stay Active This Winter

    Staying active during the winter offers important benefits for your health. ...

    Read More

    January Newsletter: How Chiropractic Will Help You Reach Your Health Goals

    Planning to improve your health this year? Chiropractic can help. ...

    Read More

    January Newsletter: Why You Should Visit Your Chiropractor This Winter

    Is a visit with the chiropractor on your winter calendar? ...

    Read More

    December Newsletter: Custom Orthotics Could Be What You Need to Fight Foot Pain

    Are your feet killing you? Orthotics could end your pain. ...

    Read More

    December Newsletter: Healthy Eating Tips for the Holiday Season

    Worried about gaining weight during the holidays? The healthy eating tips will help you avoid piling on the pounds. ...

    Read More

    November Newsletter: It's always a good idea to visit your chiropractor after an auto accident

    Feeling sore after a car accident? Give your chiropractor a call. ...

    Read More

    November Newsletter: Dealing with back pain? A herniated disc could be the cause

    Got stubborn back pain? You may have a herniated disc. ...

    Read More

    Jaw Pain? You May Have TMJ

    Could your jaw pain mean that you have TMJ? ...

    Read More

    Too Much Tech Could be Causing Your Neck Pain

    Wondering why your neck hurts? Your tech habits could be the reason. ...

    Read More

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for more articles

Follow Us

  • Copyright © 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • Site Map