Low Back Pain - 6 Hour Flight - No Problem - Wayland Chiropractor Dr Matt Cooper
“My Back is Sore But I Need to travel” - Wayland
I hear this all the time - So what can we do to make plane or car travel easier?
When On A Plane
For starters the seats are almost the exact opposite of how our spine's curvature
But with that said
Movement on your Plane Flight is a Must - Wayland
Get up and walk the length of the plane or go the the bathroom 1 time / hour
Typically I pick an aisle seat to make this easier
Hot Patches - Wayland
I love these for a long trip when you can't take your ice pack
This is a video I made showing how to apply the patches
I always keep some of these packs/patches in my carry-on
One time use hot packs are airline approved and last around 8 hours - then are just thrown away
So if you are going on a 6 hour trip to the West Coast
Buy TWO
One for the trip out and one for the trip back
I have never had a patient tell me that the airlines would not let them bring them aboard
In The Car
Take Breaks On Your Drive
Driving more than 2 hours straight will give most people low back pain.
4-hour or less trip
Getting out and taking a 5 minute breaks every 1-2 hours should be a no brainer
Your breaks do not have to be longer than 5 minutes
Just get out and start walking and moving
10-hour or more trip
Every 2 hours is hard to do but try to stop every 3 hours at least.
You may still feel sore once you get back in the car but it will be better then if you did not take the break at all
Ice Packs or Hot Packs For Back Pain Relieve - Wayland
Ice packs are typically my go to but if you do not have a cooler to keep the ice pack cold
Again I love the one time use - hot packs are great
Lumbar Cushions - Wayland
The issue is sizing
What fits me will not be right for you
Lumbar cushions are basically and ORTHOTIC FOR THE SPINE
Make sure you try your lumbar cushion out around town before you bring it on the long trip
If you can't find a support the fits your low back
You can also use a rolled up towel
