If you’re like most people, you spend a lot of time in your car. Whether you drive to and from work, run errands, or take trips on the weekend, it can lead to lower back pain and achy muscles. Taking a few minutes to correct your posture before driving can help you. Better posture in the car can also prevent worse injuries during a car accident. Here are three tips to improve your posture when you drive. 

3 Suggestions for Good Posture In the Car

1. Don’t Sit Close to the Wheel

Especially if you are shorter, it can be tempting to push your seat up closer to the steering wheel, so your legs are sitting like you are in a chair. Your seat should be further back, so when you push your foot down on the pedal, your entire foot can reach the floor. Sitting too close to the steering wheel can lead to serious injury in a car accident. If you sit a couple of inches further back, it relieves spinal stress and helps prevent lower back pain, because the entire weight isn’t on your lower back. 

2. Lean Back the Seat

The back of your seat should be just a little further inclined back than 90 degrees. A seat inclined anywhere from 100 to 110 degrees puts the least amount of pressure on your lower back. If you are too far forward while driving, it causes you to lean your neck and head forward, which puts pressure on the nerves in your back and also leaves you vulnerable to more serious neck injuries and whiplash during an accident. 

3. Adjust the Headrest 

The optimal placement of your headrest to prevent lower back pain is between the top of your ears and the top of your head. The back of your head should just touch the headrest, without being cradled by it. Headrests have been specifically designed to prevent whiplash during collisions. 

Southgate Chiropractic in Southgate, KY, offers a wide range of chiropractic services for lower back pain, including massage therapy treatments. If you’re struggling with neck and back pain from a car collision, Dr. Roger C. Jones specializes in whiplash and auto accident treatment. Don’t live with your pain; call (859) 572-0029, or visit them online today to schedule an appointment.