Yikes! Ever wonder why your body feels beat-up after being in the car for too long? There’s a lot of damage that can be done from sitting too long especially on your spine. I recently experienced this a few weeks ago.
When not working at the clinic, I have an independent business where I teach learning and development classes to small and large companies. I teach 2-4 times a month and usually need to drive 2-4 hours away for each class. It’s a great side gig and I love teaching!
On top of traveling often in the month of July and August for training, we moved into a new house. My husband, Ben, and I decided to do most of the moving ourselves. For any of you that have moved, you know how much lifting is involved with getting all your furniture into a new house. Why did we do most of it ourselves? Great question. I have no idea! It’s not like we don’t have several family members or friends that live close by that could have helped us. Lesson learned.
I had been feeling pretty proud of myself for keeping up with my husband during the moving process and not getting sore from being in the car so much. In fact, I usually get adjusted every 2-3 weeks and decided I’d skip a visit since I was feeling pretty good.
Big mistake. I woke up in the middle of the night on Monday and could barely move my neck. It was stiff, swollen and I felt like I had gotten run over by a truck. I tried to make it through the day and decided it was time to drive to Spencer and see Dr. Lee.
What’s the lesson? If you have a job where you have to sit at a desk or you are in a car for an extended period of time, there are some ways to make sure you don’t end up feeling how I felt. I’ll share my tips I’ve learned from the doctors on how to prevent and treat yourself when you have neck pain.
Tips:
![IMG_1287[1]](https://functionfitnessfuel.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/img_12871.jpg?w=248&h=186)
- I LOVE this pillow! It’s a Sitback Rest Lumbar Support Cushion. I use it at the office and when I am driving in my car. It helps support the natural curve of the spine and honestly, I hate sitting in a chair without it. We have some at the clinic if you want to check it out.
- Get up to walk around every 10-15 minutes to counteract the effects of sitting. There are a lot of people that download an app or set a timer on their phone to remind them to move!
- A tennis or lacrosse ball is a great way to do self-massage. Dig that ball into the sore area and let it sit there for 30-45 seconds. It may hurt a little but you will start to feel some relief with repetition. If you’re curious on how to use it, stop in and we can show you!
- Slowly dangle your head from the bed. Say what? That’s right. This was one that helped me immensely. Dr. Lee shared to start at a 10 degree angle for 30-45 seconds and slowly dangle the head at a more angled degree. It helps stretch things out and relieve pain. Ignore my hand in the left photo, make sure to relax!
- See your chiropractor! If you are doing something strenuous or feel “lucky” that you are not sore, it’s still a good idea to be seen. You don’t want to feel how I felt. Trust me!
Here’s a great article about what sitting does to the body: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2015/05/08/sitting-too-long.aspx
-Katy