I have been seeing more patients at Dawson Chiropractic in Altoona with low back pain and many of them are relating it to traveling over the holidays. Whether it was to see family or the Iowa Hawkeyes play at the Rose Bowl, many patients are having low back issues from being in a tight sitting spot for long hours. Here are a few suggestions that might help during travel time and after you make it to your destination to help you stay loose.

During the road trip:

Drink lots of water- 12 ounces every hour would be ideal. Water helps muscles from cramping and causing pain. Also, it will require you to take rest stops along the way to stretch and loosen up. I know most travelers try to dehydrate themselves so there will be less stopping while on the road but this can do more damage than it’s worth. Not only will it cause you discomfort due to muscles cramping but it can also exasperate joint pain as well.

Don’t sit in the same position- Always keep shifting weight from side to side. Obviously if you’re the driver this is the hardest one to manage while still staying safe but try to make small shifts every 20 minutes or so. Keep your coat or sweatshirt nearby to roll and place at your low back if you feel like that needs a stretch. You can also move your non-driving arm around and get great shoulder and chest stretches as well. Maybe even make a game out of the next song that comes on and do abdominal crunches whenever you hear the words “love” or “heart”.

After trip:

Watch the video for the 3 main stretches to do after every road trip:

• Hip flexor- Very important muscle because it attaches to your low back. If it’s tight it can throw you out of alignment.
• Glutes- Give your leg a hug and feel the burn in your bum!
• Hamstrings- When sitting long periods, hamstrings become short and put pressure on the low back.