This Health Alert is intended for readers interested in learning about the prevention, diagnosis, and management of back pain.
Don't let back or neck pain cramp your travel fun. Experts who treat back pain recommend that you stretch regularly while you’re in flight or when you take a driving break. Stretching can help relax tense muscles and overly tight ligaments in the back and neck.
Traveling by car or plane can be a pain in the neck, literally, as well as a pain in the back. Sitting for prolonged periods adds strain to the structures of the lower back and neck, and poor posture while sitting puts even more stress on your spine. Regular travel with back or neck pain can be a challenge, but you can take measures to reduce or avoid pain and discomfort while on the road or in the air.
Here are six simple, yet effective stretches to help you can do anywhere, without a lot of fancy equipment:
Neck and shoulder stretches :
- To loosen your neck, rotate your head to the left and maintain this position for about five seconds. Turn your head forward again; then turn to the right and hold for five seconds. Repeat five times.
- To loosen your shoulders and neck, shrug your shoulders up while holding your arms at your sides. Stay in this position for about five seconds, then return to a resting position. Repeat five times.
Back stretches:
- Begin in an upright, seated position and gradually lower your torso toward your knees. Let your arms drop down and then wrap them around your thighs. Hold this position for about 20 seconds while breathing deeply, then return to your normal, seated position. Repeat five times.
- While standing, put your hands on your lower back and slowly stretch backward from the waist. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax and straighten up. Repeat five times.
- Place your hands on your hips and bend to the left. Maintain this position for five seconds. Return to an upright position, then bend to the right and hold for five seconds. Repeat five times.
Leg stretch:
- While sitting, keep the balls of your feet on the floor and raise your heels. Hold for 10 seconds. Lower your heels back down, and repeat 10 times. Although this is really a calf stretch exercise, you’ll feel the stretch all the way up into your lower back.
