Road tripping with chronic pain can seem a bit daunting. There are a lot of things to be considered from medication to stretching techniques. However, with a little preparation and a tool belt of pain relief tips, you can still have just as much (if not more!) fun on the road!
Here are some helpful tips to make your road trip more enjoyable, regardless of pain:
1. Start Comfortable!
It’s important to start your trip in a position that feels right and that you can always go back to. A few recommendations include empty your back pockets, adjust your seat, and use props. Sitting on your wallet, phone, or anything else that may be in your back pocket alters your spines alignment and can ultimately aggravate back pain quite a bit. So remember to empty your pockets before getting going.
As for adjusting your seat, the most useful tactic is trial and error. Since everyone’s body is different there are no specific instructions for everyone to be comfortable. However, there are some helpful guidelines that can apply to anybody. For example, make sure your back is aligned against your seat. If you are driving, this may mean to adjust your seat to be closer to the steering wheel versus having to reach forward for it. If possible, try to align your knees to be slightly higher than your hips. This introduces the idea of props. Placing something to put your feet on for them to be proper height can help a great deal. Also, a cushion to support the lower back’s natural curve is highly recommended due to most car seats’ lack of lower back support. If you don’t have a cushion, try a rolled up towel, scarf, or small pillow.
2. Don’t Forget Car Health!
Getting your car checked out before embarking on a long trip can save you a lot of discomfort, even if you don’t suspect anything wrong with your car in the first place. Between your car’s shocks and the integrity of your tires, both play a major role in how smooth your ride will be.
3. Be Prepared!
Pack a pain-relief bag that includes things that will help if pain does strike. Equip yourself with an effective topical pain reliever and keep it handy. Real Time Pain Relief has convenient travel size tubes of Pain relief lotions and also a travel bag to keep them in. If you can, bring a cooler with you so you can have ice packs available. If not, stock up on instant cold packs that don’t need to remain chilled. Also, if your car has an adaptor for it, a heating pad can be very helpful. Similarly, you can buy some long-lasting heat wrap adhesives from a drug store and have those handy. Don’t forget plenty of water and if appropriate, your medicine! While it is important to prevent pain from becoming an issue, it’s just as important to be prepared for if it strikes while on the road.
4. Stretch it Out and Make it Fun!
Sitting in one position for too long will stiffen your muscles and can lead to pain and even potential muscle spasms. To combat this, plan ahead and find some fun stops along the way to get out of the car, move around, and stretch it out! After all most of the fun of a road trip is exploring the areas you drive through, isn’t it? If possible, map your route so you can take a quick stop every 30 minutes or so and be sure to schedule in some fun whenever a longer break permits. Some ideas include:
- Scope out the World’s Largest ‘Anything’
- Try out a new restaurant
- Visit a museum you haven’t been to
- Detour to a national park
- Check off different historic sites you haven’t been to yet
-Call up a friend you haven’t seen in awhile and catch up
Above all, it is important that you enjoy your road trip and not let the possibility of pain keep you from exploring!
For More Tips to Stay Comfortable on a Road Trip, (Click Here)
Check out our articles and infographics to learn a multitude of ways to start relieving your pain naturally!
At Real Time Pain Relief, we not only care about the quality ingredients that go into each and every one of our products – but also about the people who buy them. We hope this blog, and the articles posted on it, become a valued resource for your own personal journey to better health. We know natural products that reduce your pain at the source are important to you, and for more than 17 years, our Real Time Pain Relief rub-on has been providing fast acting, targeted pain relief with natural ingredients to thousands of satisfied customers. From the useful information on this blog to our high-quality natural products, we hope you become one of the thousands of customers telling us they “Enjoy Living Again!”
Sources:
https://www.spine-health.com/blog/7-tips-alleviate-back-pain-your-road-trips
http://painresource.com/happiness/5-tips-avoid-back-pain-long-road-trips/
https://www.healthcentral.com/article/how-to-avoid-back-and-neck-pain-during-a- summer-road-trip
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