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Keeping moving
It's not just the driver who can stiffen up in
a car. Passengers are often seated for long periods
of time in a fixed position. Movement is the key
for car, driver and passenger.
As a passenger, try to alter your position from
time to time and sit with your knees bent and
thighs level and comfortable. Avoid sitting with
your legs crossed; move them regularly.
For driver and passengers, stop regularly, ideally
once an hour, especially when feeling tired. Get
out of your vehicle and walk around it several
times.
Stretch like a cat, gently moving your arms around,
bringing your knees up to your hips, and stretching
your whole body.
Back pain sufferers
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Choose a car,
with an adjustable lumbar support (and use
it). Alternatively, keep a flat cushion
in the car for use in the small of your
back.
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Choose a car
with a higher kerb height to make getting
in and out less stressful on the spine.
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Depressing the
clutch increases the pressure on your back
so choose an automatic to avoid this.
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Power steering
also significantly reduces the load on the
spine.
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Driving can give you.
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Neck pain |
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Headaches |
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Eyestrain |
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Shoulder pain |
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Wrist pain |
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Elbow pain |
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Back pain |
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Bottom ache |
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Hip pain |
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Knee pain |
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Foot and ankle
pain
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Is the car the right fit for you?
Sometimes the design of the car itself can lead
to back problems. If you have to drive particularly
long distances, check out the cabin and layout
of the controls with the four tests set out below.
If the car can pass these four simple tests then
there is a good chance that it is suitable for
the particular driver. By using these tests a
prospective buyer can make an informed choice
of car and hopefully avoid "driver’s
back pain".
The four tests
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The praying
test
The driver places both hands together,
pointing forwards. If the steering wheel
is not offset then the driver should be
pointing straight at the centre of the wheel.
The danger of having an offset wheel is
that most drivers tend to rotate in the
middle of the spine to compensate for its
position, producing long term back strain.
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The fist
test
With the seat in the normal driving
position make a fist with left hand keeping
the thumb to the side of the index finger.
It should be possible to insert the fist
on the crown of the head.
If it is only just possible to insert the
flat of the hand between the roof and head
then there is insufficient headroom. The
danger of having too little headroom is
that the driver may compensate for the lack
of height by slouching in the seat, which
puts a strain on the spine and thighs.
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The look
down test
With both hands placed evenly on
the steering wheel look down at the legs.
It should be possible to see equal amounts
of both legs between the arms. Frequently
the left leg will be visible but the right
leg will be obscured by the right arm, which
may indicate that the shoulder girdle is
rotated to the left in relation to the pelvis.
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The right
leg test
This test should be performed after
driving the car for a short while. Once
again, look down and examine the position
of the right leg. It is elevated above the
level of the left or had it fallen out towards
the edge of the seat? Is the right foot
roughly in line with the thigh as it should
be, or has it had to come across towards
the centre of the car?
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When driving
Car seats can be adjusted to suit your posture
but make sure that you always:
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Keep your seat
reasonably upright, leaning backwards only
at a slight angle.
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Keep the headrest
adjusted so that the centre of the headrest
is level with your eyes. Don’t set
the headrest too low as this can allow more
serious injury in an accident.
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When getting
in, sit first then swing your legs into
the car. When you get out, move the seat
back before swinging your legs out.
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Do you "ride
the clutch", resting your foot in the
air? No wonder your ankles of calf muscles
hurt!
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To relax, raise
your shoulders to your ears breathing in,
then lower them as your breathe out. You
may want to do this at every red traffic
light, or major junction.
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Avoid reaching
behind to get bags from the rear seat. Don't
be lazy. Get out and open the door.
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Be careful when
loading and unloading. Lift correctly.
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Avoid lifting
unnecessary weights. Get help to change
a tyre.
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Sit with arms
gently bent at the elbow to the wheel and
don't lean forward out of the seat.
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Wear a seat belt
and make sure it is properly adjusted. Make
sure children also have appropriate seat
belts and cushions.
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Remember
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Prevention is better
than cure. |
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Sit properly - drive relaxed.
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Osteopaths can advise on posture.
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Osteopaths treat neck and back
pain- and a great many other things as well,
if your problems don't resolve with the above
advice, or are more complex, consult an osteopath.
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If you are unlucky enough to
be involved in a road accident, osteopathy
can help relieve the pain of injury, especially
whiplash-type injuries. |
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Osteopaths are often asked by
solicitors to write medical-legal reports
on accident victims, to help them claim compensation.
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Visiting an Osteopath
When you visit an osteopath for the first time
a full case history will be taken and you will
be given an examination.
You will normally be asked to remove some of
your clothing and to perform a simple series of
movements. The osteopath will then use his or
her highly developed sense of touch, called palpation,
to identify any points of weakness or excessive
strain throughout the body.
The osteopath may need additional investigations
such as x-ray or blood tests. This will allow
a full diagnosis and suitable treatment plan to
be developed with you. Osteopathy is patient centred,
which means the treatment is geared to you as
an individual.
Osteopathy and patient protection
Osteopaths are trained to recognise and treat
many causes of pain. Osteopathy is an established
system of diagnosis and manual treatment, which
is recognised by the British Medical Association
as a discrete clinical discipline.
For the last sixty years, osteopaths have worked
within a system of voluntary regulation that set
standards of training and practice.
In 1993, osteopathy became the first major complementary
health care profession to be accorded statutory
recognition under the 1993 Osteopath's Act. This
has culminated in the opening of the Statutory
Register of Osteopaths by the General Osteopathic
Council in May 1998. Only those practitioners
able to show that they have been in safe and competent
practice of osteopathy will be allowed onto the
register and in the future all osteopaths will
be trained to the same high rigorous standards.
All osteopaths will need to have medical malpractice
insurance and to follow a strict code of conduct.
Patients will have the same safeguards as when
currently they consult a doctor or dentist.
If you have other questions that we have not
answered here, don't hesitate to contact
us!.
Further Information
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