How to Travel Pain Free: Tips from a Neurosurgeon

Whether you’re a frequent flier, a business traveler, or planning your next vacation, back and body pain are a common and unwelcome part of any trip. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m sharing my tips and personal experiences below on how to stay pain-free on the road and in the air.

If you are experiencing neck and back pain while traveling too, know that you are not alone. Approximately one-third of Americans say pain has stopped them from traveling after five hours of traveling. Upon arriving at their destination, this debilitating pain can also keep many of us from enjoying our vacation or trip.

4 Ways to Avoid Back Pain During Road Trips

Having just returned from a road trip to Michigan, I am guilty of not taking my own advice in many regards. With that being said, my first-hand experience has helped me come up with advice for those looking to manage or avoid neck and back pain while traveling. During this road trip, I was experiencing a lot of my own neck pain from spending the previous day in eight hours of surgery. Normally, in this circumstance I’d choose to fly home to Michigan, but since welcoming my Sheepadoodle, Quinn, into my life, I decided this trip would be best traveled by hitting the road. Because of this, I ended up stopping pretty regularly to walk the dog and it gave me the chance to stretch myself, which significantly helped my neck. It certainly seems to be the case that we will stop for our dogs more often than we would for ourselves!

When traveling by car for roadtrips, here are some tips and techniques to take care of your back and neck while hitting the road:

1. Make Frequent Stops: The standard recommendation for road trips is to stop every two hours or every 100 miles. In my case, my dog Quinn forced me to make frequent stops on my journey which ended up benefitting my own body! During these stops, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to stretch. I like to do neck and shoulder rolls and stretches to my hamstrings, calves and lower back. It always feels good to bend down and touch your toes too.
2. Use a Phone Mount: For your safety and for the ease of your passengers, using a phone mount will prevent distractions and the tech neck many get from looking down at their phones.
3. Neck Pillows: For when you need to snooze in the backseat, I highly recommend getting a neck pillow for extra comfort and support. The U-shaped ones are good to promote spinal alignment too. In addition, resist the urge to overpack the front and back seats for better posture and ergonomics.
4. Lumbar Support: To help support your back during long road trips, I recommend getting some seat cushions that will support your spine and ease your pain. They are a great way to ease lower back pain as the driver or a passenger and there are plenty of options out there. I suggest opting for memory foam to relieve tailbone and full back pain.

How to Avoid Back Pain When Flying

For plane travel, the general perception is that traveling by air is easier on your body than the road. However, traveling by air comes with its own challenges – Layovers, multiple modes of transportation, and time in travel can all take a toll on your body. International flights also have us sitting in the same position for hours and hours at a time. Here are some recommendations I have for staying comfortable and pain-free in the air:

1. Choose Your Luggage Carefully: Choose roller luggage bags that you can easily maneuver and I recommend pulling these bags, not pushing. The goal here is to not be bent over while transporting your luggage and to not be straining your back by bending down to pick something heavy up.
2. Stay in Motion: Resist the urge to use a moving walkway and walk from gate to gate. If your layover is longer or your flight is delayed, use this as an opportunity to walk around and stay loose before you’re sitting on a plane for hours at a time. 
3. Stretch When Possible: Gently stretch your arms, back, and legs every thirty minutes on the flight to keep circulation going and muscles relaxed.
4. Stay Hydrated: You can easily get dehydrated on flights, so it is important to drink sufficient water and fluids. Since the discs in our spine are mostly made up of water, being dehydrated can cause pain and flare-ups in our back.
5. Have Good Posture: No matter how you are traveling, it is important to have good posture so you are not putting strain on your back and neck.

Managing Pain During Work Travel

Having traveled recently for a medical conference in San Diego myself, I certainly know the toll that work travel can put on your body. I hear from patients who suffer from severe back pain and are also required to travel for work. Unfortunately, many of these patients work through the pain and only seek help when the pain begins hindering their ability to do their job. I highly recommend seeking care from a spine specialist sooner rather than later to get to the root of the problem.

Travel can be very hard on your body and can keep you from enjoying your vacation or performing your job effectively. The important thing to note is that pain is individualized and that you should seek care if your pain is preventing you from traveling or performing daily functions. Here are three things to remember if you are prone to flare-ups and are hitting the road (or air) this summer:

• Stay mobile, whether it’s at a rest stop or during a layover.
• Protect your back by packing light or using rolling luggage.
• Stay hydrated and maintain good posture.

Following these tips and guidelines will be sure to keep you comfortable when you are taking your next trip.  I’ll be sure to follow my own advice soon on my next adventure, as I plan to take a long trip to Japan with my buddy from medical residency. Here’s to pain free traveling!

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