Friday, August 6, 2010

Truck Drivers Can Avoid Neck and Back Pain

The business of truck driving obviously involves a lot of sitting. Extended periods of sitting often come with upper and lower back pain. Anyone who sits at a desk all day, drives a truck or has simply been on a long road trip can relate. Holding still in a chair for hours on end is never easy on the back. Although back pain is common, when in one of these situations there are simple things that can be done to prevent pain and optimize back positioning.

Doctor Jolie Bookspan writes about the ways to stop back and neck pain after long sittings. She starts out by listing that it is not necessary to buy an expensive chair or cushion to sit in a healthful way. She also mentions that with some common sense and information you can sit in a comfortable way that will help your back and neck instead of hurting them.

When slouching you are holding your muscles in a longer position then normal. This weakens the muscles and can cause injury and pain. The cushions between your back bones are called discs and as you sit hunched over your discs slowly degenerate and are pushed out ward to the back. This is what leads to herniated or slipped disks. Positioning your neck slightly forward or backward can also cause problems with your disks. Disks can be pushed far enough out that they hit a nerve and can cause pain in other places such as the legs. Serious issues such as these can be easily prevented.

As you sit notice the position of your back. Do you allow your back to curve to the shape of the seat? If your back is rounded are you leaning even more forward by pulling your head forward or positioning a pillow behind it that curves your neck as well as your back?

Check to see if you are sitting away from the back of your chair causing all of your weight to be centered on your lower back? All of these are common problems with a simple solution.

To improve posture, move your hips all the way to the back of the chair. Lean slightly back to a comfortable position. If the back of the chair is rounded place a small cushion in the space created between your lower back and the chair. This will preserve a healthy and normal sitting position instead of curving your back to the shape of the chair.

While driving move your seat so that you are not required to bend or lean to reach the steering wheel. Your seat should also be tilted slightly back as you sit up and lean your upper back against the seat. Another bonus of this position is that your face and chest are farther away from the airbag making it safer as you drive.

One last thing to remember is that you need to get up every once and a while. Your hips need standing weight for strength so simply standing up for a break can be an effective tool. Stretching is also very beneficial. Simply standing up and straightening out or laying on the ground while propped up on your elbows can help “unround” your spine.

When practicing these tools remember that it is not all about specific angles or positions. Do what works and always pay attention to how you are sitting. Truck driving a truck for hours on end does not have to end in neck and back pain. Use these tools effectively and you will see the difference.

http://www.drbookspan.com/SittingHealthy.html
http://www.truckingjobsblog.com