Driving Tips From Your Chiropractor? You Bet!
By Donna Kostiew
The miles keep adding up … every day, every week. For the past two years, I have found myself driving my car for hours each and every day. I guess I can chalk it up to life circumstances … or complete lunacy on my part (which I am really starting to question) … but who really knows? What I do know is that I am well over the average 12,000 miles/year that most experts recommend we put on our cars. In fact, I am over three times that amount, and the year isn’t even over yet.
That’s a lot of driving. And although I have joked around in the past about my children being a pain in the neck sometimes, I really think that they are causing me pain from driving them around so much. In my neck, my back, my joints … you name it, I feel it.
Who Knew That Poor Driving Habits can Cause so Much Pain?
Well, besides your chiropractor, that is. But it makes sense, doesn’t it? Ever since we were little, we have been reminded to watch our posture, yet once we sit in the car and turn on the tunes, those little voices of the past seem to disappear. Well, let me be your voice in the present and tell you about some tricks that I was taught by my chiropractor to help reduce my pain.
- Buy a lumbar support or place a rolled-up towel in the small of your back
- Make sure your steering wheel is at the correct placement (arms should have a slight bend to them)
- Check the placement of your seat so that you aren’t straining your neck
- Evenly support your thighs by tilting your seat at the correct angle
- Adjust your mirrors so that you are always encouraged to sit up straight to see out of them
- Don’t sit on your phone or wallet
- Don’t climb into or out of the car using one leg first (swing both out with your knees together)
- Take breaks and walk during extra-long driving periods
Although I am no expert, my chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic is, and these tips have certainly helped me navigate the roads in a lot less pain. So if you are like me, and are endlessly driving your children around, may I suggest that you take some time to drive yourself to The Joint Chiropractic? And even if you can’t blame your children for your pain because you are driving for other reasons, your local chiropractor will still be able to help you out. There is nothing worse than back or neck pain while driving your car, so give yourself some relief. Just don’t look too happy about how you feel in front of the carpool coordinator because we all know where that path will take you, don’t we?
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Littleton, Colo.