Do you suffer from sciatica? See how you can alleviate sciatica pain during long drives, according to doctors.
Anyone who has sciatica pain will be the first to tell you that it’s not easy to manage, particularly for those who have a variety of lifestyle factors that worsen symptoms and make it harder to get relief. Unfortunately, driving can put a lot of pressure on the lower body, and sitting for long periods isn’t exactly healthy.
But how can you manage to keep your sciatica under control if you must drive for more hours and you don’t have anybody with you in the car? Here are a few suggestions to help alleviate sciatica pain during long drives that we have written after speaking with a few professionals.
Maintain a correct posture while driving
If you want to alleviate sciatica pain during long drives, you must pay attention to your posture and how you sit on the chair. As with standing, sitting, or resting, keeping your posture right when traveling can help you manage discomfort and keep symptoms from becoming worse.
Use your backrest and lower the flexion angle of your upper body. To avoid bending forward in your car, also remember to sit up straight, with your knees higher than your hips, and to tilt your back support so that it is around 110 degrees from the seat surface. Moreover, sitting on items from your back pocket, such as a wallet or phone, should be avoided since this has been linked to an increase in hip pain.
Buy a car according to your needs
For many people, one of the first things they’re looking for when they buy a new car is the model, its color, and whether it suits their needs. But if you suffer from sciatica, you must also pick a car based on the seating to see if it’s comfortable for your height and body type.
Selecting a car that has changeable seat settings, especially the lumbar support, will help you drive more correctly by allowing you to customize the car to your personal needs. Even some modern automobiles have massage seats! Like heat packs, heated chairs are a great bonus since they may help relax muscles and improve blood flow.
Make sure the seats in the vehicle you select are cozy for both long-distance and daily driving if you must commute a lot during the week.
Buy a lumbar pillow
Both when driving and when sitting in general, lumbar support pillows and cushions specifically made to lessen the sensations of sciatica can be quite helpful. In addition to relieving sciatic nerve strain, supportive pillows support the spine’s natural curve.
Lumbar support pillows are available in various sizes, shapes, and patterns, many of which are designed specifically to alleviate the painful symptoms of sciatica that people experience during long periods of sitting or driving.
If you’re dealing with awful sciatica pain during your driving hours, besides paying attention to your posture and adjusting the seat, you must also invest in a memory foam car seat pad. Since the filling material is memory foam, it will be so thin that you won’t even feel it, but it will help you maintain correct posture while driving. You can find various models on Amazon, but I picked one of the most affordable ones that costs $23.99.
Stop the car and stretch as often as possible
Another proven method that can help you alleviate sciatica pain during long drives is to make a few stops on the road to relax a bit, stretch the muscles, and switch positions. By regularly stretching and changing positions, you may encourage a continuous flow of nutrients and fluids to your lumbar discs, which will help prevent the nerve roots in your spine from becoming compressed.
I know it’s tempting to drive through extended lengths of time without stopping, especially if you must get somewhere in time, but this habit might affect your health. That’s why doctors recommend taking one short break every two hours of driving. You don’t have to stop somewhere at a restaurant or so; just get out of the vehicle, take a few steps, and stretch your arms and legs.
If you have issues with back pain or sciatica, it would be helpful if you had another person in the car with you who has a driving license so you could take turns if the road is longer than 4 hours.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of water!
It may sound odd, but being properly hydrated, no matter the season, is crucial for your health, especially if you are dealing with serious back pain. Almost every area of the body, including the area of the lumbar spine, is affected by dehydration. Our joints and muscles might feel uncomfortable, tight, and stiff when we are dehydrated. However, when we drink the recommended daily amount of water, our discs continually rehydrate themselves as we walk around.
Keep a bottle of water close by while driving, and ensure you stay hydrated because healthy spinal discs act as superior shock absorbers, essential for enduring the road’s bumps.
Take your meds with you if you go on long road trips
The most common reason for pain and swelling is inflammation brought on by stimulation of the sciatic nerve and the surrounding spinal discs. If you want to alleviate sciatica pain during long drives, using over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines like Ibuprofen, for example, can help you reduce inflammation and swelling.
Keep in mind that these medicines are going to help you for a short while, but they can be what you need if you don’t have to drive for more than 4 hours straight. However, if the pain is really bothering you, you might want to think about talking to your doctor and asking for pain treatment alternatives that will help you in the long run. These include trigger point injections, injection therapy, and steroid injections. Apart from injectable therapies, some people find that taking turmeric, a natural anti-inflammatory drug, helps with pain.
Hold-and-cold therapies can be helpful as well
Applying heat and cold treatments to lessen sciatica pain while driving has several advantages. For instance, ice packs may significantly reduce swelling in your legs, hips, and lower back because of their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.
On the other hand, heating the area that is injured may alleviate pain by increasing blood flow and relaxing tense muscles that lead to spasms. Both have the potential to significantly lessen sciatica symptoms when driving; your preferences will determine which is the best choice for you. To get the most out of the advantages and shield your spine from harm, you can think about switching between hot and cold treatments.
In general, ice is better for more recent injuries, while heat is more effective in treating chronic muscular soreness and stiffness that may occur if you are driving for many hours.
Although this article seeks to provide you with the knowledge you need to choose your course of treatment wisely, it is not designed to serve as a substitute for expert medical advice or care. So in case you suffer from sciatica and the pain is getting worse, please talk to your doctor.
Do you know any other methods to alleviate sciatica pain during long drives? Tell us in the comments.
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