Month: April 2018

5 Ways To Prevent Back Pain In The Airplane

monkey in planeTraveling is a fun experience when you are prepared and fit. But if you are experiencing health problems such as chronic back pain, your traveling experience could become uneasy and difficult.

Riding an airplane is already uncomfortable enough. Unless you booked yourself a first class seat, you would have walked on a small path or go through tight spaces just to get to sit down. Most passengers in the economy seats cannot even stretch their legs or recline their seats. So what are you going to do now if you suffer from back pain?

Here are preventative tips you can follow.

Stay Away From Coffee, Tea or Alcohol

Humidity inside an airplane is low and this can cause your body to become a bit dehydrated. To prevent the low pressure of the air cabin from causing more trouble to your health, stay away from drinks like tea, coffee and alcohol as they can can make you expel more.

If you allow your body to deplete its water supply, your circulation will become less efficient and this cause more body or back pain.

Check Your Size

If you are generally bigger or taller than an average man or woman, it is best to book an aisle seat for your flight. This way you can easily get up to go to the bathroom and go back without disturbing anybody seated next to you.

If you are smaller or shorter, you may also want to consider bringing a collapsible foot rest. There are some airlines who provide these to their passengers so you can also ask a flight attendant if they have one.

Stand Up And Move Around If Possible

Most airline companies allow their passengers to stand up and walk around for a while if they are taking longer flights. Try to avoid sitting down for an hour and ask an attendant if he or she can help you out. After 30 to 40 minutes of sitting down, you can stand up and walk on the aisle if they allow you to.

Keep Your Legs Moving

There are some spacious spots in the economy wherein you can stretch your leg muscles. If you book a seat near the emergency exit, you can have an entire space right in front of you. You can even perform yoga poses if you wish.

But if you missed this opportunity and booked a different seat in a more congested spot instead, you need to keep your legs in front of you and stretch them out as often as you can. That way the leg circulation does not remain stagnant, causing fatigue and leading to deep vein thrombosis.

Bring Medicine

Even if you are living a natural lifestyle and refuse to use over-the-counter medicines, it is still best for you that you bring some pain reliever such as the turmeric curcumin supplement. This ensures that your travel experience can be less uncomfortable if the pain starts to disrupt anybody.

Long-haul flights can be very uncomfortable. If you find yourself in pain in a flight, the best action you can take is to stay active. Avoid seated for hours, just keep moving. Stand up and walking around or ask an attendant if there is a tiny space at the back where you can stretch and not disturb anybody. The above information can help you if you wanted to know how to alleviate back pain and prevent it from happening again.

If the pain is still there after you have returned from your trip, see a professional who can talk to your about long-term solutions to your stubborn back problem.