Dealing with back pain while driving

Back pain is a common complaint in the world we live in. Sitting postures are ruined by hours spent in front of the computer, lazing on couches and practically living a back nightmare. In such a situation, driving for a long time can be heavily taxing on the back. Here are a few tips to deal with back pain while driving.

Anjali Naik of New Delhi drives down to Rajasthan with her husband on any long break they get from work. She loves spending time at her husband’s ancestral village but she says, “Getting there is such a nightmare because my back hurts all the while that I drive. I and my husbnd take turns and stop every little while to prevent back pain from going bad to worse.”

Medications for drivers

While it may be easy for the passenger to take medication for back pain relief, there is little by way of medication that drivers are recommended to take. “You want all your senses at their sharpest when you’re driving, so stay off medication if you have to drive a long way,” advises Delhi-based independent medical practitioner Dr. Arpanaa Kumar. Further, she recommends using support for lower back such as special pillows or a towel rolled up at the level of the waist while driving.

Move your seat forward

You may find relief from back pain if you simply move your seat a bit more forward so that you don’t have to stretch too much to reach the pedals.

Don’t tilt your seat too far

Consider it as a thumb rule - Do not slouch.  You must always position your seat at a comfortable angle. Studies have shown that your seat is best tilted at an angle somewhere between 100 and110 degrees while you drive.

Get out of your car and stretch

By taking a break after every 30 minutes you will be able to eliminate fatigue and reduce the chances of developing back pain.

Anusha Raman, 35, who also has to drive long distances says that she finds it very therapeutic to just get off the car and walk about a bit every half hour or so if she has to drive for hours at stretch. Dr. Kumar recommends it too. “Getting out of the car and stretching every half hour can relieve the pain and make it easier to drive on ahead,” she says.
So, find out the reason behind your back pain and uproot the same as fast as you can. In fact, sooner the better!