4 Ways to Prevent Back Pain on the Road

Ever been on the road and felt some discomfort in your back? Well, of course, you have, because when you’re driving for hours on end, back pain is pretty much inevitable. But wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to avoid back pain? And no, we don’t mean by taking four packs of Goody's powder or ibuprofen - we're talking about solving the problem at its roots! Take a look at our tips below on how you can eliminate back pain straight from the source.

Maximize Your Movement

Yeah duh, we know this seems kind of like a no brainer. But do you know why it’s so important to move around? Because your vertebrae is made up of lots of tiny bones, 33 to be exact. In between these bones is a special liquid, essentially acting as a lubricant to keep these bones functioning as they should. And do you know what happens when you don’t move around enough on a daily basis? Well, this liquid doesn’t work like it’s supposed to, which can lead to intense back pain, and who wants to deal with back pain on the road?

So be sure that whenever you get the chance, whether it’s during a fuel up or while you’re dropping off a load, you get out of the truck and move around. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, just a 15-minute walk or some quick stretches can make all the difference.

Activate Your Core

Since you’re behind the wheel of a truck for hours on end, it can be hard to find a way to properly strengthen your core so that you have the proper muscular balance between your glutes, abs, and lower/upper back muscles. And no, we’re not saying you need to go lay down in the parking lot and do 600 crunches every morning. Instead, you can simply try doing more stretching, deep breathing, or some other quick and simple exercises that can help increase core strength.

Strengthen Your Glutes

Nope, even though you’re laughing at glutes, we’re not joking. Having weak glutes is actually one of the biggest causes of back pain since they're tasked with stabilizing your hips, which in turn has a direct effect on the position of your spine and neck. And unfortunately for truckers, sitting down for 10 hours a day doesn’t work the glutes much. But by focusing on improving glute strength, you will, in turn, stabilize your hips and pelvis, leading to better posture for your neck and back. It may sound simple, but trust us, it can make a world of difference when you spend long hours driving a rig.

Call Truck Services of North America

Wondering how giving us a call is going to solve your back pain? Well giving us a call and letting us do your 4th quarter IFTA return for you seems like it would probably do the trick, too. Don’t believe us? Give us a call at 803.386.0320, and see how easy IFTA can be when someone else handles it for you!