(Aether Bios Clinic) Bridgeford’s Best Bites:
OSTEOPATHY FOR DRIVING
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Driving can place strain on our bodies over time. People who drive for a living need to be aware of the effects of their driving position on their body. This is perhaps even more relevant for people who commute in busy traffic to a job where they sit at a desk, hold awkward positions or do manual labour and then drive home at the end of the day. The effects can be felt not only in the back, neck and shoulders but also in the hips, knees and feet.
It is easy to tense the neck and shoulders while concentrating on busy traffic, and even to grip the steering wheel in stressful situations. When we are stressed, we also tend to hold our breath, which in turn creates more tension in our bodies and decreases our resilience if this become habitual. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to tense your butt while driving in busy traffic?
Getting a good position behind the wheel is an important and individual thing. We are all different shapes and sizes. If you are sitting in your car like you are sitting in a lounger you are probably not doing your body any favours. Not all cars suit all people, so it is important to take care to find a driving position that is both comfortable and conducive to good posture.
Generally a good seated position is with a straight back, a ninety degree angle at the hips and at the knees, with the feet able to reach flat on the floor; shoulders above the hips, crown about the base. In a car, you also need to be able to reach the pedals and hold the steering wheel with ease and without strain. The steering wheel and surround, should not press on your knees or legs. Ideally it should be possible to change gears without reaching forward with your shoulder and thus pulling on your neck and back repeatedly.
Everything in our lives can affect how we feel in ourselves and in our bodies. We are more likely to feel the impact of driving if we have slept awkwardly, fallen asleep on the couch with a bad neck position, over-exercised, repeatedly strained our bodies with work or hobbies, including holding the musical instruments we love. Add a dash of emotional stress, biochemical imbalance or dehydration to tip the balance and the body’s long term coping mechanism can be lost and we start to feel pain or symptoms from tight muscles, misalignment, trapped nerves.
Useful Driving Tips:
- Ensure a good posture while driving, adjust your seat as necessary – before your start driving
- Get a soft cover for your seatbelt if it irritates your collar bone or adjust the angle of it if possible
- There are some posture aids to help you feel more comfortable in your car seat
- Breath well to help keep you relaxed and alert; calm yourself before driving if feeling stressed or upset
- Take regular breaks, to rest your eyes and mind, stretch your legs with a few minutes of brisk exercise
Keeping Healthy – how Osteopathy can help:
Osteopaths treat the whole person not just conditions, so a wide variety of different problems can be helped. Treatment is aimed at releasing stresses and strains that may have accumulated in the body over many years. Our body’s capacity to compensate for these issues is what keeps us going over the years. When there are too many issues for the body to compensate for, it starts to give signs of discomfort; chronic issue can seem to start for no particular reason and are often due to multiple factors over time, the latest one tipping the balance to cause discomfort and pain.
Treatment and advice will be given to help improve mobility, circulation and immune function and reduce stiffness and pain in back, neck and joints. Posture in life and daily habits, including driving will be assessed and suggestions made to benefit your recovery; this may include stretching, rehabilitation exercises and dietary help.
We are happy to advise you on your health matters.
Lin Bridgeford DO KFRP MICAK MICRA FSCCO MSc
Registered Osteopath & Kinesiologist & Senior Yoga Teacher
Master Hypnosis and NLP Practitioner
Aether Bios Clinic
Saltdean
01273 309557
07710 227038
