Did you know that 80% of the US population will experience a back incident at some time in their life? This is an extraordinary number. The good news is that many are preventable.
Most back and shoulder injuries are the result of an accumulation of small traumas to the area versus a sudden or acute trauma. Thus if we can eliminate micro traumas on our back and shoulders we can prevent discomfort, pain and life altering injuries.
Here are a few tips to prevent micro trauma in an activity we do countless times a week–driving a car! We hop in and out of the vehicle without considering the innocent stresses we are placing on our body. Give some of these a whirl and see how they can make a simple positive difference!
1. Entering a car
- Slide in sideways with no twist OR
- Sit on the edge of the seat; swing both knees around, avoiding a twist in the low back.
2. Sitting in a car
- Lumbar support (low back)
- Reclining slightly
- Knees higher than hips (optional)
- Rear pockets flat (avoid thick wallets)
- Headrest raised almost to the top of driver’s head
- Wrist to reach top of steering wheel with arm straight—without bending body forward
3. Exiting a car
- Push the seat back (optional)
- Raised steering wheel (optional)
- Swivel both legs out at the same time
- Push out of the car with arm support
- Note: If exiting a van or SUV, you may slide out one leg at a time; do not twist
Recent Comments