With the holiday season approaching, airport terminals are about to be busier than ever. According to Huber, the number of people traveling this holiday season is expected to be higher than pre-pandemic measures. If you’re planning to go on the road, it’s important to prepare your body for a long day of sitting and find ways to relieve back pain while traveling on holidays.
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Whether it’s a long drive north or a flight to a tropical location, here are some tips to help you stay healthy while traveling on vacation.
1, take a breath and relax
Relaxing before a flight is essential for the body and mind. The weeks leading up to a flight can be stressful and pre-flight anxiety is normal for most people. Taking deep, controlled breaths before a ride in the car or on a trip will improve the flow of air within your body and mind, helping you calm nerves, reduce stress levels, and start your vacation on the right foot.
2. Get the blood flowing
Road trips and long trips involve a lot of sitting with little or no physical activity. Staying in the same position for too long can lead to blood clots and other health problems. When possible, stand up and walk around and extend and unbend the body. This can be done during bathroom breaks, filling up at a gas station, or anytime you start to feel sore or stiff.
3. hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Staying hydrated seems simple but can easily lose your mind. On average, adults need 10 to 16 cups of water per day to keep body temperature regulated, joints lubricated, and organs working properly. Proper training improves sleep quality, cognition and mood. If you’re traveling for a better part of the day and find yourself avoiding fluids so you don’t have to use the bathroom, you’re setting yourself up for pain later.
4. What to do when your back hurts
Back pain often results from a condition called spinal stenosis. Our daily lives include a lot of sitting and staring at phones or televisions and almost not enough physical movement. For this reason, our spine is constantly placed in a penetrating position which can lead to spinal stenosis. If traveling in a car or plane is causing increased pain and discomfort, consider the following.
Roll on a stability ball or foam roller
When using a foam roller or stability ball, your body weight is used against the roller to put direct pressure on the trigger points. Effective treatment usually begins with rolling back and forth over a stiff or sensitive area for 30 to 60 seconds. This method is the only safest way to stabilize your back.
Avoid cracking joints
Anytime you crack your back or neck joint, you are moving forward. This is very dangerous and can cause more pain or even permanent damage to the spinal cord. If you feel that your back needs adjustment, always seek a professional.
Be proactive about maintaining spinal alignment
Realizing the fact that your spine is highly mechanical can change the way you think about maintaining healthy spinal discs. Proactive work in maintaining the alignment of the vertebra associated with each spinal disc can help maintain spinal anatomy and prevent pain. Be aware of your posture when sitting, standing, and neck angles when looking at your phone or reading a book, and strengthen your back and shoulder muscles with exercise.
To dig deeper into spine care and how to relieve back pain, FIX24 Joint Biomechanics is hosting a free seminar on November 15 at 6:30 p.m. where we’ll cover a variety of back and spine related issues. To register, visit fix24wellnessstudio.com or call (480) 419-1500.
Wherever your destination takes you this year, we hope you have a healthy trip there.
author: Dr. Michael Robb is a physician of chiropractic and founder of Joint Biomechanics FIX24. Driven by a passion and need to revive structural health care, Dr. Robb studied a unique form of chiropractic called the Gunstead Technique. Eventually, Dr. Rob opened his clinic in Scottsdale and named it Joint Biomechanics FIX24. This is where he developed and practiced his new system called “FIX24 System”.