Specialists say that some simple stretching movements and exercises bring relief to back and neck pain caused by long hours behind the wheel.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest problems of people living in urban areas is back and neck pain experienced from driving long hours in dense traffic. Regardless of how comfortable your vehicle may be sometimes back and neck pain becomes inevitable going between home and the office.

Anadolu Medical Centre Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Specialist Prof. Dr. Semih Akı draws attention to the additional load on the neck and back region brought on from long hours of sitting. According to Prof. Dr. Akı the poor posture human body takes whilst sitting down for long periods of time creates extra stress on the spine.

Prof. Dr. Akı explained that periodical stretching carried throughout the journey helps alleviate the pain caused by sitting in the same position for extensive durations. He shares the following recommendations:

1. Use suitable pillow to support your lower back if the design of your car seat is inadequate in reinforcing your posture.
2. Before you sit down make sure to remove any objects like wallet or mobile phones that might be in your rear pockets.
3. Try and sit as closely as possible to the steering wheel without compromising safety. Make sure that your shoulder joint is tilted slightly forwards (45 degrees) and your elbow is tilted slightly upward (45 degrees) whilst your back is completely against the rear of the seat and your hands grasping the steering wheel. Remember that your neck and back will be overloaded when you are too far away from the steering wheel.
4. Periodically lift your knee upwards and your body forwards. Don’t forget to repeat this movement for both your legs.
5. Grasp your hands behind your head to stretch your neck and back whilst waiting at red lights or traffic jams.
6. Make small changes in the position of your seat (every 15-20 minutes) and the adjustments of your automatic lower back and back support (every 10-15 minutes). This will prevent body weight being loaded on the same area for long periods of time.
7. Be prepared for hot or cold compress against recurring lower back pain during journeys. This is why it is important to have with you hot and cold packs for the journey. You may alternatingly use hot and cold compresses for a maximum of 20 minutes each but make sure to prevent direct contact with your skin. You may use car-lighter powered heaters for the hot compress.
8. Try and give 15-minute breaks every 2 hours on long journeys. Spending 5 minutes of your break on back exercises will provide some relief.
9. Should your back pain get so severe as to prevent you from driving, it is important that you take a resting position most comfortable to you. The most practical method in such conditions is to lie on your back in the back seat with 2-3 pillows under your knees or alternatively lie sideways with your knees pulled up towards your stomach with a single pillow between your legs.