Tips for Traveling with Back Pain

CLEVELAND - Holiday travel can be stressful. 

When you add back pain to the mix, it can make the experience even worse.

“Most of the time, there’s not enough lumbar support for you to actually have proper posture when you’re sitting for a prolonged period of time,” said Trishul Kapoor, MD, pain management specialist at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Kapoor said many times people will try to push through the pain, but they don’t have to.

There are things they can do to find relief.

To start, practice proper posture before your trip. 

Dr. Kapoor said you can do this by sitting down with a pillow or rolled towel behind your back and figuring out what’s most comfortable. 

The key is to maintain a natural curve in your spine – just like the letter “S.” 

If you’re going to be flying, be sure to book an aisle seat. 

Dr. Kapoor said this is going to make it much easier to get up and stretch. 

Finally, try not to overmedicate. 

“When you take these medications, sure they do reduce inflammation in that area, but that strain is still being applied to those portions of your body. So over time, you are going to increase your tolerance to these medications – not necessarily fix the problem, which may be getting worse over time,” he said. 

Dr. Kapoor said a neck pillow can also be helpful. 

While there are different ways to wear it, he suggests keeping the opening in the back – that way your head has more support if you lean forward.