Gone are the days when travel was luxury. Today, travel has become part and parcel of life. Irrespective of whether travelling is for business or leisure, it has become a necessity rather than a luxury in Canada.
Although it has become convenient to book a flight for your business trip or plan a road trip with your friends, it comes with certain loopholes. Long travel journeys or sometimes even short, uncomfortable journeys can have a huge impact on your body and mind. It has been observed that most travellers, regardless of whether they travel by road or plane, often whine about the pain in the lower back. So if you are a traveller, here are some physiotherapy for travellers tips for you.
If your seat is extremely low or high, adjust it so you don’t have to bend your hips throughout the journey. Besides, it is wise to adjust the seat to back so that you do not have to sit erect or too backward for the rest of your journey. In either of the above awkward postures, your lower back is likely to bear all the pressure, and you might experience pain in the near future.
Looking in one direction leads to sprain in your neck. Therefore, rotate or move your neck at regular intervals. Every 30-45 minutes rotate your neck clockwise and anti-clockwise. Remember, not to rotate your neck in an instant because that might lead to a sprain. Rotate your neck slowly so that you can release all the pressure. This is great physiotherapy for travellers.
Start in a comfortable, relaxed position. Tuck your chin backwards, keeping your head in the same plane as far as you comfortably can. You should feel a stretch at the top of your neck just under your skull. Then relax and repeat. This exercise reverses the forward head position that occurs as a result of extended periods of sitting while you travel. Repeat this exercise ten times every 30-60 minutes.
In your seat do some range of motion exercises such as:
- Pointing and flexing your ankles.
- Keeping your nose pointed forwards, take your head straight backwards (chin tucks).
- Keeping hands on your shoulders and circle your elbows.
- Keeping hands across your chest and rotate through your spine.
These exercises will help you to feel good throughout your journey.
Despite, all of these if you still experience extreme or regular pain in your body, it is recommended to seek assistance from experts. In this situation, no one except an experienced physiotherapist can guide you to offload the unwanted additional pressure from your body.