It's July 4th and how are you spending the holiday? Are you driving this holiday or taking a plane trip somewhere? Chances are covid-19 has somehow affected your plans. Personally, we are doing a staycation. My son and I tested out a new golf club this morning and later we are doing a July 4th bbq with close family. Staying put and staying safe. Enjoying fireworks from our back lanai tonight !
How can back and neck pain affect travel? In many many ways actually. It can make it nightmare and cause you to have a flare up sometimes. Here are some great tips to help you with your travel plans- whether doing a staycation or going somewhere.
First, taking breaks is very important. The act of sitting can put a lot of stress on your joints, on your back and even your neck. Sitting in one place while driving, or on the computer can aggravate back and neck pain. Hence, standing up and moving around can make a big difference. Making a plan to get up every 15-20 minutes to get a drink of water is a great idea. Plan on stopping at a rest stop no matter what. Just stretching and moving can make such a big difference if you have neck and back pain.
Using pillows to your advantage can make a big difference. For both the back and the neck, use contoured neck and back pillows. For example using a lumbar pillow while sitting in the car for long periods or when you are on the computer, can help.
Just like using a pillow for lower back can help, same goes for your cervical spine. Using a cervical contoured neck pillow for sleep can also make a huge difference for optimal posture while sleeping on your side or back. The Arc4life Traction Pillow is a good example of pillow with curves that fit the shape of your neck. It is important to order the right size of a pillow like this. This arc4life pillow comes in 3 sizes: small, medium and large.
A Contoured Neck Pillow at Night Can Keep Your Neck in Alignment While Sleeping
Next, doing neck and back stretches can go a long way to keep comfortable. Never to the point of pain, just to the point that you feel a stretch is the key. These are great stretches for the hips, neck, back and shoulders.
There you go: 3 simple things you can do to enjoy your staycation or TRAVEL away from home.
Additional Reading:
- Causes of neck pain you might not think of
- Arc4life Twist Pillow works great for patients who are travelling or for kids in the car
- Contoured Kids Pillows Designed for Smaller Cervical Spines
- Arc4life's Linear Gravity Neck Pillow- Small Size for Toddlers, Teens and Petite Individuals
- Change up the loft of your pillow easily
- Upper Back Stretches you can do anywhere
