Posts Tagged ‘Hot Spring Spas’

Are you taking a summer road trip? Excited for the fun times and great experience with your family but worried about what sitting in the same position for days is going to do to your back?

You aren’t alone. Millions of Americans suffer with back pain, but luckily there are a few things you can do to help alleviate it.

Let’s look at how to eliminate back pain on your summer road trip.

Prepare for Your Trip

The best thing you can do in the weeks before your road trip is to use your hot tub on a regular basis.

Doing this helps you control any ongoing back pain you have and  helps control your symptoms on the road.

Regular hot tub usage helps decompress your spine and improve the circulation. This essentially loosens your back and makes it more flexible so sitting for long periods isn’t so traumatic.

The warm water and its buoyancy combine with your hot tub jets also targets your lower back and shoulders, relieving pressure in those areas. You’ll find your back and shoulders are often the areas most sore during a car trip.

Take Care During the Trip

Here are a few tips you can use during your long summer road trip to lessen your back pain:

• Stop frequently and move around. Just like a person with an office job, you want to stop, stretch, and walk every hour or two. Once you stop, do some small back stretches. Stretch your quadriceps and your hamstrings. Then, walk around for a bit. This will help stimulate your circulation and lessen back pain.
• Try and stretch a bit as you drive (as long as you aren’t the driver!).
• Adjust your seat so you have back support.
• You can also adjust your headrest. This helps support your neck and keep the pressure off your back. Tilt it back just a bit so your head can rest on it.
• If it’s not too hot, and you have heated seats, you can use them as heat therapy. Similar to the effects of a hot tub or a heating pad, your seat warmer can also help relieve back pain. Do keep your air conditioner on if it’s summertime!
• If you are the driver, use cruise control so you can actually move your leg around.

Take Care During Your Vacation

If there is a hot tub at your hotel or lodging, make use of it. Use it at the end of a driving day and throughout your stay.

You also want to exercise and stretch during your trip to ensure your back pain is minimal or gone.

Final Thoughts

Taking a road trip with the family is great fun during the summer months. It’s a lifetime of memories your family will remember.

In order to return home without back pain, you can use the tips here to keep it under control. If you have chronic back pain, please consult your doctor before traveling.

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