Backache is quite a common health issue these days, owing to the sedentary lifestyle. Often considered a usual side effect of sitting for too long at the office desk, it’s also observed in people who spend a lot of time driving. Back pain due to excessive driving is correlated because you are virtually inactive when you’re in the driving seat. Those who remain active and agile are less vulnerable to backaches as compared to those who don’t.
Let’s find out why driving can be bad for your back? Here’s a brief discussion on the subject, followed by ways to prevent back pain when driving.
Is Driving Bad for Your Back?
- Yes, driving can harm your back due to two major reasons: poor posture and sitting in one position for a long period of time.
- You need to have seat lumbar support in car or regular movement so that your back does not feel stiff. While the lower back creates trouble for you at a later stage in life, people who drive for more than 4 hours every day are more at risk.
Causes of Back Pain in Drivers
The causes of back pain in drivers are inevitable, but there are ways to prevent back pain when driving. When you’re sitting, your spine is subjected to more impact than it is when you’re standing. This is amplified when you drive as the body gets exposed to additional forces such as vibrations, lateral sway, acceleration, and deceleration inside the car.
Moreover, you are actively using your feet to operate the pedals which means they are not firmly grounded for stability. Moving feet and a stiff back can lead to backache, potentially aggravated by poor seating position and seat designs.
Now let’s find out how to prevent back pain when driving.
Ways to Prevent Back Pain When Driving
Now that we have understood what causes your lower spine to hurt, let’s explore some useful tips to tips to manage back pain while driving. If you are required to spend a fair amount of driving to make a living or to commute to your workplace, you can apply these steps to minimize the pain that runs through your spine by the end of each week.
Here are some back pain prevention tips for drivers:
- First of all adjust car driver seat correctly. The best driving posture to avoid back pain is such that your back rest makes contact from your bottom to your shoulders with about 100 to 110 degrees.
- If your back rest is reclined too far, you will have to strain your head and neck forward which will put additional force on your back. Here is how to determine the best driving position when driving.
- Check that your steering wheel is in the most comfortable position and is appropriately distanced from your body.
- If not, move the wheel up or down. By varying your hand position, you can also help relieve joints and improve blood circulation.
- Slide the driving seat forward so that your elbows are 90 degrees or slightly more when your hands are positioned at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock on the wheel.
- Sit back fully in the seat such that your bottom is all the way to the back to support the natural ‘S’ shaped curvature of the spine.
- Make adjustments to the seat so that it supports the full length of your thighs. This is to avoid any pressure behind the knees as that can reduce blood circulation, causing pain and stiffness.
- Make sure the mid-portion of the back of your head is meeting the middle of the cushion of the headrest when you rest your head.
- See whether the mirrors are positioned optimally so that you can see around easily without straining your neck.
- Do not skip on your driving breaks. If you have a four-hour trip ahead, break every two hours so that you can stretch your back, hips, and knees.
- A few minutes of relaxing your body can improve your concentration and resume blood flow from the areas it was cut off.
- In some cases, your job may involve lifting items in and out of the vehicle. Ensure that your lower spine is kept straight by keeping your legs apart when you lift.
- This helps reduce strain as your spine can get vulnerable to lifting force when it has been static for extended periods.
- Consider adding lumber support cushions or pillow to your driver’s seat. This is one of the best back aids for drivers, as it provides additional comfort to your spine.
- Also, supportive cushions are one of the best ways to make the used car more comfortable.
- If you car is driven by multiple drivers, look for new or used cars in the UAE that have easily adjustable seats. This will allow multiple adjustments without incurring damage to help each driver operate comfortably.
- In case of a backache that you weren’t able to prevent, use an ice pack or a hot pack to alleviate the symptoms. However, perform this treatment for only a short period and always read the instructions on the back of the packs.
- Purchase cushion seats as they reduce vibrations and jolts transmitted to the seat.
- There are specific car seat cushion shock absorbers that you can get for this purpose. You can even find car driver accessories for back pain and various other auto accessories and parts in the UAE online as well as at a physical store near you.
- Do not miss out on the regular maintenance and servicing of your car for a comfortable drive.
Seek Treatment for Back Pain Due to Excessive Driving
While backache may heal on its own in most caes, you must take immediate medical assistance if you experience any of the following symptoms.
- You see any signs of inflammation or swelling on your back
- You have constant pain in your lower spine that doesn’t ease after resting
- You feel pain running up in your back that travels to your chest
- You have unexplained weight loss
- You have a high temperature that is 104F/38C or above
- There is loss of control on your bladder or bowel
- You have back pain that has occurred after a serious accident
- You feel numbness or tingling around your buttocks or genitals
If you have any of the symptoms, don’t hesitate to consult a medical specialist and get back pain treated immediately.
Back pain is inevitable, but taking precautionary measures and following the tips detailed above may help prevent back pain due to excessive driving.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for more driving tips, guides, UAE driving laws, fines and a lot more.
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