Adjust Your Car Seat To Avoid Back Problems

Do you find that driving makes your back stiff or even sore? Like many other people, sitting in a vehicle for long periods of time can make you vulnerable for experiencing bouts of low back pain.

Unlike regular sitting, driving causes the body to be subjected to many different forces such as: accelerations and decelerations, swaying from side to side, and to whole body vibrations. These motions, combined with improper low back support and prolonged sitting can increase the chances of you experiencing low back pain. The use of the right foot on the gas and brake, and/or the left foot on the clutch, can also add to the possible strain on your low back. When the feet are active they cannot be used to support and stabilize the lower body as when sitting in a stationary chair.

If you must spend excessive time in a vehicle, try to do it in one that has a good quality seat. You can determine the quality of a car seat by checking to see how adjustable it is. At a minimum you should be able to adjust: the seat distance for leg length, the seat height for leg length, and the backrest angle of the seat to adjust the incline for comfort ability. If your seat has only minimal adjustment options, then you can use a lumbar (low back) support pillow when driving. This allows your low back to conform to the contour of the pillow, helps you sit more snugly in your seat, and helps keep you from slouching while driving.

Now that you have checked your seat, here are a few recommendations:
1) You should be able to reach the brake/gas pedals comfortably. If you can’t, you will be reaching for them and your posture will be adversely affected.
2) If the lower or seat portion of your car seat tilts forward and backward, make sure that it is tilted so that it is not pressed against the back of your knees.
3) If the upper part of the seat tips forward and backward, do not have it leaning too far back. You should not feel like you are sitting in a “Lazy-Boy” recliner at City Furniture.
4) If your car has lumbar support make sure that it is adjusted to the depth and height of YOUR low back curve. It should not press too hard or be too low or high.
5) If your seat has arm rests, your arms should rest comfortably on them. This will help stabilize your low back and take some of the pressure gravity exerts on the lumbar spine as you sit. However, just be sure the armrests are not sitting too high or too low for someone your height.
6) Change your posture or position from time to time. Wriggle in your seat, recenter yourself, put it on cruise control. Movement helps alleviate postural fatigue.
7) Take breaks - prolonged sitting can cause postural discomfort, leg pain, low back pain, and sometimes even numbness. While stopping at a gas stations or rest area, stretch your back by the gas pump or on a picnic table. Move around at every stop to help pump your muscles and reduce stiffness.

By following this simple advice, you will reduce the amount of stress your low back is exposed to when you drive. To be even more proactive, you should also participate in at least a simple but regular exercise program and visit your chiropractor regularly. If you must drive or sit for excessive periods of time, chiropractic treatment and exercise will increase and maintain your low back mobility and flexibility. This will allow your low back to be better able to handle whatever stress you put it through.

--Dr. Colin Gage