Your Chiropractor Tips for Traveling with Back Pain

Your Chiropractor Tips for Traveling with Back Pain

  Going anywhere this 2018 Holiday Season? Well, if you are coming to or leaving Miami Beach your Chiropractor has some good advice to save you from back pain while you travel. Getting to your destination can be hard on your joints, muscles, and nerves so don't forget to take care of your back whether you are shopping, lifting, in a car or on a plane. Traveling requires us to use our bodies in ways we're not used to, such as hoisting luggage over our heads into the bin and yanking it off the moving baggage claim. It requires us to sit still for long periods, often in a cramped space. We lean to one side while holding our valuables or kids. We carry and move so much everyday and by the end of the day, we don't realize how much wear and tear we do to our backs. To help you have as pleasant a trip as possible, here are a number of things others have tried and found to work well.

1. Be smart about traveling with luggage, if you can't get someone to help you out when lifting things, here are some ways you can manage your luggage with the least stress possible on your back. Use your legs to bend and do not lean over,lift luggage in stages. Keep your bags and luggage close to your body while lifting. Move slowly when lifting your luggage and break the action into smaller parts. When lifting a bag into an overhead bin, it can first be lifted to the arm of the seat, then to the top of the seat and then into the bin in separate motions. Never Turn or twist while you are lifting, always bend your knees and lift straight in front of you. This is a common cause of injury to the low back. Pivot with your feet so that your whole body moves instead of just twisting your back Ask a flight attendant for help.
2. If you explain you have a back condition, you will be surprised how helpful the airline staff will often be. If your bags are small and light, it will be less of a burden to ask someone to help you.
3. You can ship ahead your luggage. This is my favorite solution for luggage: just mail your essentials to your destination ahead of time. This way you avoid luggage entirely and can carry just one small bag on board with you. No schlepping.No hassle.No pain.
4. I know its hard but try to pack light. Use 2 or 3 smaller bags rather than one large, heavy bag, especially if you will have to lift the bags in or out of car trunks, off airport baggage carousels, into and out of overhead bins, etc. Do not sling a bag over one shoulder (unless it is a very light handbag).
5. Use a good quality lightweight backpack. Use both straps. The generally recommended maximum weight of a backpack is 10-15% of your body weight and even less if you have a painful back. Using a backpack has the added advantage of leaving your hands free to hold onto handrails on escalators, stairs, the boarding ramp, etc.
6. There are many ways to make sure you have access to ice/cold to numb the lower back when traveling. The simplest is to bring extra Ziploc bags and whenever you need to, ask a flight attendant to fill it with ice for you. Place it between your lower back and the seat. Leave it on for 20 minutes to numb the lower back and repeat as needed. You can also use cold packs that are manually activated. If security will let you, bring a small gel ice pack on the airplane. Flight attendants will keep them in the fridge for you.Ice Packs for Back Pain Relief There are disposable,portable hot packs that heat up after you open them, so you can bring them on your travels and open and apply them as needed. Commercial heat wraps, incorporate heating units across the low back area of the band. Such types of heat wraps last for several hours, making them ideal to provide back comfort during lengthy travel. If you want to bring gel heating packs, first check with your airline to see if they're allowed past security.