How much time do you spend seated behind the wheel of your car? Like the position behind the computer, this as an all too familiar modern posture that can cause pain. Many of the cars on the road, not just the luxury vehicles, now come standard with adjustable seats and lumbar rolls.
However, you can have all the bells and whistles in your car but if you don’t know what the right position is, it is money poorly spent. Here are my physio hacks to help anyone get comfortable and prevent pain whilst driving.
Hip pain hack
Your knees should never be high above your hips.
Why? It decreases the angle between the torso and thigh placing more pressure on the hip joint. Maintain this position for prolonged periods and the likelihood of hip pain increases. So no low bucket seat and if you already have hip problems, definitely do not consider a sports car as your next vehicle no matter how great you think it makes you look.
If your seat is low, a wedge cushion is a great way to improve that hip to knee angle.
Knee pain hack
Keep the knee slightly bent at all times by at least 20 degrees. So get your seat forward enough that you do not need to fully extend the knee to reach the pedal.
If you are sitting right back into the backrest with your buttocks and you need to slide forward to reach the pedal, you WILL over extend your knee.
Avoid lower back pain
Your seat back needs to lean back.
Now I don’t mean in racer boy style where you can hardly see over the dashboard but gone are the days where sitting upright at 90 degrees is helpful.
Your backrest should be at 100-110 degrees to your thigh, this places less pressure through the discs of the spine.
Get a lumbar curve (unless you have an anterior spondylolisthesis)
This can be achieved in 3 ways.
- An adjustable lumbar roll if your car doesn’t already come standard with one. It is supposed to fit into the small of your back and not up high forcing you to lean forward.
- A wedge cushion forcing your pelvis into an anterior pelvic tilt or…
- Watch the video for an easy hack to get a lumbar curve without the fuss of extra cushions.
Avoid neck and shoulder pain
This all about keeping the chin tucked in and the shoulders in a relaxed position just as we would when working at the computer. Poking the chin forward puts major pressure on the neck joints and muscles and should be avoided. Reaching forward for extended periods of time with the arms places pressure on the shoulder joints and eventually the body unconsciously adjusts itself to avoid that pressure adopting a curved lower back and a forward poking chin. Vicious cycle.
Break the cycle by:
- Gently resting the back of your head against the headrest, tuck the chin in gently by sliding the back of the head up and imagining holding a tennis ball under your chin.
- Adjust your rearview mirrors so that you can see the road from this tucked in position. If you can’t see the road it will be a quick reminder to get back into position.
- Your steering wheel should not be too far. Sit back in the seat, tuck the chin and reach forward. If you can fold your wrists over the top of the steering wheel, it’s the perfect distance.
- Now hold the steering wheel at the 8 and 4 positions of the clock. If you don’t have any neck or shoulder symptoms, change to 9 and 3 for better control.
- Do not hang onto the gear control for longer than needed to change gears, it increases the tension in the muscle between the neck and shoulder.
One last useful hack
Getting in and out of the car while protecting the lower back and hips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTpNz-AwoKQ
Disclaimer: Safety always comes first. No matter what we suggest, if you cannot see the road, your rearview mirrors or your instruments, you need to readjust. Secondly, although the advice is sound, it isn’t a solution for every person and if pain persists you should see a professional. We cannot be held liable for any injuries incurred while following the advice.