Bottom Line:
Holiday
travel can be brutal on your body. Long hours spent jammed into a small seat on
an airplane has the potential to cause a flare up of pain in your low back or
neck. Even if you are traveling by car, be careful when lifting suitcases that
are stuffed with an entire closet worth of clothes and gifts. Proper spinal alignment can help your body
function at it’s the highest level and keep the holiday back pain at bay!
Why it Matters:
Your
spine performs at its best when it has a balance of strength and flexibility.
Chiropractic adjustments help your spine move comfortably through its entire
range of motion. What’s more, when your spine is in alignment and balanced,
your muscles perform better. Lifting too much weight at awkward angles can put
a tremendous amount of stress on your spine and cause injuries, and after a few
hours of sitting still in a plane or a car, your body isn't prepared to
immediately start lifting 50 lb. suitcases. Be prepared and take a few moments
during your travel to stretch, move your body, and warm up before doing any
heavy lifting.
-
Stop in and get adjusted before you leave on vacation to improve how you feel
and function.
- If
your flight is more than an hour, be sure to get up and stretch your legs.
- Be
cautious and lift with your legs when moving suitcases and gifts.
Next Steps:
A lot
of patients have told us that getting that adjustment before leaving for their
vacation helped them avoid having a relapse of pain. Give your back a gift and
consider coming in to get an adjustment before leaving on your vacation, and
from our family to yours, happy holidays!
Science Source:
The effect of spinal manipulative therapy
on spinal range of motion: a systematic literature review. Chiropractic &
Manual Therapies. 2012