Whether you’re taking a family road trip or flying to a foreign country for business, life on the move can be exciting. But as North Pole Chiropractic explains, travel can also force the body into some uncomfortable positions, resulting in pain long after your arrival. To prevent these problems, this chiropractic health provider of North Pole, AK, offers a few tips for the next time you make a trip.

How to Support Chiropractic Health When You Travel

1. Stretch Before You Sit

Before any long-distance traveling, make sure to properly stretch out your neck, back, arms, and legs. Taking time to warm up your muscles and joints can help prevent stiffness.

2. Invest in Low-Impact Luggage

Using luggage with wheels reduces stress on your back and limits the need for heavy lifting. When moving bags out of the trunk, out of baggage claim, or into overhead compartments, make sure to lift with your legs—not your back—to prevent injury.

3. Make Some Adjustments

Adjusting the back of a seat to about 95 or 100 degrees helps keep your spine in its natural alignment and supports good posture. If driving, move the seat close enough to the steering wheel that you can press pedals without strain.

4. Empty Your Back Pockets

Keeping wallets, keys, and phones in your back pocket can shift the hips out of alignment, resulting in back pain. Instead, place belongings in a different pocket or a secure bag.

5. Take Breaks to Move Around

When driving, make an effort to visits rest stops regularly so you can stretch out and get the muscles and joints moving. If flying, use bathroom trips and layovers as an opportunity to move around.

6. Show Your Lower Back Some Love

Padded rollers provide healthy lumbar support to ward off back pain. If you don’t have one, a rolled-up towel or small pillow will do the trick.

7. Ice Out the Pain

When you’re already suffering from an injury, applying an ice pack to the area can prevent inflammation and provide pain relief. If flying, you can bring an ice pack so long as it meets FAA regulations and is frozen solid when you go through security.

If you do experience discomfort after travel, let Dr. Jack Harrison of North Pole Chiropractic help you address the issue. With a strong understanding of the musculoskeletal health system, they can accurately pinpoint the source of travel-related problems and offer a variety of natural, noninvasive solutions for relief. More information about this chiropractic health specialist and his approach to custom care is available online. To make a convenient appointment in North Pole, AK, call the practice at (907) 488-1885.