Remember the days when two-hour long drives were reserved for fun weekend outings? Today, due to traffic, a two or three-hour commute to work is the norm. The irony is that the vehicle is moving but your body is not. Your body is immobile for many hours hunched over the steering. This leads to back pain, knee pain, wrist pain, and many other medical conditions.
“Driving for long hours can cause multiple postural and medical conditions such as hypertension, metabolic and psychological disorders,” says Sudhir Bhardwaj from Aspire Physio, Gurugram, India. “Common issues are a pain in the lower back and hip joints.”
Driving and pain
When driving, we pay little attention to the way we sit. We make ourselves comfortable, but our sitting posture may be wrong.
“The reason behind the pain is poor posture,” says Bhardwaj. “Prolonged sitting in one position worsens the problem.”
In the long run, improper sitting posture leads to stiffness and discomfort in our joints and muscles. “The shortening of the thigh muscles imposes high stress on the sacroiliac joint (links the pelvis and spine) and the hip joints. This causes inflammatory joints and temporary nerve compression,” adds Bhardwaj.
Driving away postural pain
If you are experiencing pain during or after a drive, stretch your muscles to provide immediate and temporary relief.
“The best way to deal with such pain is to rest sufficiently, regularly alter the sitting position and apply ice on painful areas. Self-stretches may alleviate the pain,” says Bhardwaj.
How to prevent pain while driving
We must ensure the back, thighs, and calf muscles are flexible and supple, along with good strength and coordination. This will help reduce stress on the joints even after prolonged driving and allows smoother functioning of the muscles.
The stretches of the paraspinal (muscles around and attached to the spine), hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and calf muscles should be incorporated into your exercise routine. These self-stretches, when employed during long drives, will keep stiffness away, and the journey will invariably be a happy one.
Takeaways
- Driving for long hours can cause multiple postural and medical conditions.
- Getting out of the car and stretching your muscles at regular intervals will temporarily relieve the pain and stiffness.
- Flexibility of the back, thighs, and calf muscles is important, along with good strength and coordination, to prevent pain and discomfort.
