The kids are out of school and it’s road trip season.
There isn’t much worse than getting a back ache in the middle of your vacation! A lot of the things we do on vacation can make existing conditions worse or, if we’re too enthusiastic on those water skis, cause injury.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury, but it also means you may experience pain, stiffness, and difficulty enjoying your vacation activities. Inflammation can cause a flare up in an existing condition—sometimes you don’t even know those problems are there until it’s too late.
Some of our best/worst indulgences on vacation, like sitting for long periods, drinking alcohol, eating those extra french fries, or sleeping on a different bed can increase inflammation. We don’t want you to lose out on your favorite parts of your vacation, so here are some tips to prevent & reduce inflammation and keep your vacation fun.
Travel tips from your hometown chiropractor
Take frequent breaks when driving.
We recommend taking a 10-15 minute break for every 2 hours in the car. Stand tall, lower your shoulder blades, open your chest, squeeze your glutes together and take breaths filling your belly and chest up with air. Walk around, do some jumping jacks, just get your blood flowing into your muscles to avoid stiffness.
Stay hydrated.
While driving, limit caffeine and increase water intake. This will keep your muscles and joints from getting stiff and will actually prevent frequent bathroom breaks since caffeine is a diuretic, which means it causes increased urination.
While vacationing, increase your water intake if you are spending more time in the heat or indulging in extra margaritas. Water helps flush toxins from your body and reduces inflammation.
Bring your pillow from home.
If you have a good pillow at home, don’t leave it at home. Changing pillows (and mattresses) can change the alignment of your spine while lying in bed and aggravate existing injuries or conditions. You’ll spend about 1/3 of your time on vacation sleeping, so make sure you do what you can to keep your spine happy & healthy in bed.
Eat some blueberries!
When most people are on vacation they tend to let healthy eating slide. Making sure to eat foods with anti-inflammatory properties like fruits, leafy greens, olive oil, almonds, tuna and salmon will help to counteract indulgences like refined carbs, fried foods, and sweets.
Take a walk.
Walking for 20 minutes can reduce inflammation in the body plus get you outside to enjoy the views. If you do happen to stir up any symptoms in your low back, walking may be beneficial.
At Pinto Chiropractic & Rehabilitation we catch existing conditions before they cause problems, treat the problems once they arise, and teach our patients how to take control of their health through physical rehabilitation. This helps prevent debilitating back pain on vacation and shortens recovery time for injuries that do occur.
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