Travelling presents all sorts of times when pain can occur. A pothole-filled bumpy bus ride in Asia. A budget flight in Europe with absolutely no leg room. Simply walking for miles and miles as you get your bearings in a city.
Two of the most common forms of pain occurs in the neck and back, and they can end up getting the point where they put a major downer on your trip. If the pain is particularly severe, you may have to book a trip to the chiropractor along the way. But here are a few tips to prevent any issues before they occur.
Lift Luggage in Stages
Your heavy backpack or suitcase can end up being a common source of issues, so you should get into the habit of lifting your luggage in stages. For example, say you are lifting your luggage into an overhead compartment. Rather than doing this all in one go, you should start by lifting it onto the seat, and then up into the compartment in an entirely separate movement. Always bend at the knees to use your leg rather than back muscles. When you are walking, utilise the other straps on your backpack to distribute all weight evenly. Avoid carrying a bag over one should as this can end up putting a strain on one side of your body. Try to avoid twisting the lower back where possible, and instead pivot your feet.
Bring Back Support
If you know that back issues are a problem for you, it is certainly worth investing in a lumbar support pillow for your lower back. This can be a life-saver when you are on a particularly long leg of your travels. If you forget to bring one, an alternative that you could use is a rolled-up jacket or sweater. It is that inward curve of the lower back where you need to put this pillow. If you commonly suffer from neck pain, an inflatable travel pillow can do a good job of preventing this.
Keep Your Feet Supported
Your feet also play a major role in keeping your back protected, so make sure that you put them on a firm surface whenever you are sitting down. Use a footrest when it is provided. If you are heading out on a road trip, it is better to rest both feet on the floor rather than having one hovering over the accelerator all the time.
Pack Light
Not only is packing light good advice for your trip in general, it can end up aggravating saving your muscles and joints from aggravation. Rather than stuffing everything in one suitcase, you may be better off distributing the weight around between a few different bags to ensure a more even spread.
Prevention is always far better than the cure as the old saying goes, and this is certainly the case when it comes to preventing pain on your travels when you can.
Roaming free - tales of wanderlustbykelley 