| Osteopathy
and driving |
|
More
people have to spend hours behind the wheel. With the roads congested it is
often a stressful experience. There are 4 main areas to consider when
driving: |
 | The
best way of getting in and out of your car. Avoid twisting when getting
in. Sit your bottom onto the seat first, and then turn your whole body
into the car. When getting out, turn your whole body towards the door
and place your feet on the ground and stand up. |
|
| The
car seat. Bring the seat so that it is upright enough so that you can
depress the clutch without over stretching. If your seat is adjusted
correctly you should feel your shoulders are not rolled forward. You
should always sit as far back into the seat as possible, your hips should
be in line with your body, not so that your legs are spread (this will
avoid knee pain). Adjust the lumbar support; however, you will probably
find that the lumbar support does not correspond to the lumbar area of
your spine. You will probably need a small folded towel in your low back
area. |
|
|
Whilst driving relax your hands on the steering wheel. Shrug your
shoulders up towards your ears and relax. Alternatively try to pull your
stomach muscles in, breath out forcefully and relax. Take regular
breaks. When stopping in service stations park the car as far away from
the facilities as possible, enjoy the walk. |
|
|
After arriving at your destination do not immediately unload the car as
this can be a recipe for disaster as you may have stiffened up during the
journey. Move around for 5 minutes before unloading. When getting
something out of your boot, don’t bend your back, bend your knees. Turn
your whole body; don’t twist.. |
|
|
If you already have back pain you can
choose a car with a high curb height, an automatic with power steering can
also help. |
|
There are
several complaints that
can be related to driving: |
| Neck pain |
|
| Headaches |
|
| Shoulder pain |
|
| Wrist pain |
|
| Elbow pain |
|
| Back pain |
|
| Pain in the bottom |
|
| Hip pain |
|
| Knee pain |
|
| Foot and ankle pain |
|
|
Is the car the right fit
for your body? |
|
There are three tests to check whether the car is right for you: |
| 1 |
|
Sit in the seat and
place both hands together pointing forward.
If the steering wheel is not offset then your hands will point to the centre
of the wheel.
If the wheel is off set you will rotate your spine which can cause back pain. |
| 2 |
|
Make a fist with your
left hand you should be able to place this between the top of the car and
your head. |
| 3 |
|
Hold the steering wheel
with both hands; you should be able to see equal amounts of each leg between
your arms. |
