My son's driving a long road trip for the first time. He called and said his back was hurting so bad it was hard to drive. What can I suggest to ease his pain? Is it seat position or stress?
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Jim in a Nautilus COAT
ANSWERS: 5
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Probably some of both. Driving can be stressful especially to a young/new driver. Also, the way the seats are built to reduce weight and take up less room, they are not always comfortable. Truckers used a beaded backrest and seat to relieve some of this. That may help if he can find one (truck stop is a place to find them). Also, readjusting your seat and seat back every 30 minutes or so may help.
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Tell him to pull off at the next exit, find a grocery store and buy a bag of frozen peas. I once groomed a horse for a very well regarded orthopedic surgeon, reputed to be the best in the state. He swore by frozen peas. They conform to the shape of your body and stay cold for a long time. They can be refrozen, so long as you remember not to eat them. They will also add a little support to the seat.
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My dad was a trucker for 30+ years, he would just make sure the seat was in a comfortable position and he was sure to be relaxed before he started to drive. He said if you're not comfortable you're just going to get tired faster and have to pull over sooner. Personally if I am driving 1000 miles in one sitting I like to have the seat almost all the way up, it gives the most back support for me and it keeps me alert, rather than having it layed back and potentially falling asleep. But I have to be relaxed and keep myself from gripping the wheel and pulling myself up to the wheel, this just fatigues the hands, arms, shoulders, and back. I have had to postpone trips a day because of my grip.
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Ask the doctor for some advice on how to improve muscle strength in his back without causing any further damage. The muscles will support bone structure, improve posture and can even help to ease the pain of hernias. Too much is put down to psychological reasons. I would forget that until he has had a full check up with blood tests. Make sure his D3, calcium and vitamin B levels are where they should be.
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Status Report: He just called in from Harrisonburg, VA. The backache has been easing up as the day wore on, so I am now certain it was tension. He's going to push on over the border into North Carolina this evening before stopping at sunset. That's about 890 miles in the first day on a total trip of 1230 miles. He really wants to get to Columbus at a reasonable time tomorrow, as he has to check in to Fort Benning first thing Monday morning. We gave him a Tom Tom for Christmas, and this is the first time he's really put it to good use. Still, we're playing Mission Control here with Google Maps and Internet research to guide him when he calls in. It's been fun. Thanks for everyone's assistance.
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