Posture while Driving

Can you imagine the posture of your back while driving? For must of us, it would not make a pretty picture. Car seats are rarely engineered to support a healthy resting position, and they are often very conducive to just the opposite: putting unnecessary pressure on the vertebrae, spinal joints and muscles in the back. We usually view our commuting as a fleeting activity and thus, rarely give our backs the support they need in the car. As long as we can reach the pedals and steering wheel comfortably, we are good to go. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we would like to see people observe a posture code for commuting, even if you are only in the car for five minutes. 

• Always sit up straight with your butt touching the back of the seat.
• Further, keep the chin level and head centered over the spine; often this means resting your head gently against the head rest. 
• Hands at 9 and 3 and hips square, ensuring that the pelvis is not twisted toward one side

Obviously, it would be uncomfortable and impractical to hold this position for an 8 hour road trip. Any posture, when held for long periods of time can contribute to tight muscles and a stiff back. So listen to your body on drives that last longer than an hour: if needs be, pull over and shake your shoulders; give your back some gentle stretching so that you can arrive at your destination happy rather than stiff and out of sorts. 

For tips on posture throughout all phases of the day, or therapy for the damage that may have been caused from posture-related considerations, give our office in Milpitas a call at (408) 263-8025 and schedule an appointment today

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.