TRANSKRIPTIO 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.359
Hey there and welcome back to the podcast. I'm
00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:04.879
Dr. Hunter Schultz with 920 Chiropractic Health
00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:07.580
and Injury Care here in Green Bay. Today we're
00:00:07.580 --> 00:00:10.019
talking about something that affects just about
00:00:10.019 --> 00:00:13.439
every single one of us, driving. Specifically
00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.559
how the way you sit in your car might be quietly
00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:20.079
causing you neck pain, back pain. intention that
00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:22.140
builds up over time. And here's the good news.
00:00:22.420 --> 00:00:24.440
There are some really simple things you can do
00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:26.960
to feel a whole lot better on the road. So let
00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:28.780
me ask you something. How long is your daily
00:00:28.780 --> 00:00:31.100
commute? Maybe it's 10 minutes, maybe it's 45
00:00:31.100 --> 00:00:33.759
minutes each way. Whatever it is, think about
00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:36.000
what your body is doing during that time. You're
00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.320
sitting in one position, often not a great one,
00:00:38.460 --> 00:00:41.119
with vibration coming up through the seat, your
00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:44.000
arms reaching forward and your eyes focused ahead.
00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:47.579
Do that day after day and your spine starts to
00:00:47.579 --> 00:00:50.020
feel it. Now here's the thing, most people don't
00:00:50.020 --> 00:00:52.500
realize their car seat is adjustable in more
00:00:52.500 --> 00:00:54.880
ways than they think. And a few small changes
00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:57.240
can make a really big difference. Let's start
00:00:57.240 --> 00:00:59.500
with your seat position. You want to be close
00:00:59.500 --> 00:01:01.759
enough to the steering wheel that your arms have
00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:03.960
a slight bend at the elbow when you're holding
00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:06.579
it. A lot of people sit way too far back and
00:01:06.579 --> 00:01:09.480
end up reaching forward the whole time. That
00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:11.980
reaching puts strain on your shoulders and pulls
00:01:11.980 --> 00:01:14.599
your upper back out of alignment. So scoot in
00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:17.150
a little closer than you think you need to. Next,
00:01:17.209 --> 00:01:19.689
let's talk about your seat back. Most people
00:01:19.689 --> 00:01:22.189
recline it too far. I see this all the time.
00:01:22.329 --> 00:01:24.769
When your seat is too reclined, your head has
00:01:24.769 --> 00:01:27.069
to come forward to see the road, and that forward
00:01:27.069 --> 00:01:29.870
head position puts serious stress on your neck
00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:32.049
and upper back. You want your seat back to be
00:01:32.049 --> 00:01:35.230
pretty close to upright. Not perfectly vertical,
00:01:35.569 --> 00:01:39.069
but somewhere around 100 to 110 degrees of recline.
00:01:39.409 --> 00:01:41.409
Think of it like sitting
Load full transcript
in a supportive chair
00:01:41.409 --> 00:01:45.530
at your desk. Tall, supported, not slumped. Now,
00:01:45.549 --> 00:01:48.590
lumbar support. Most modern cars have a lumbar
00:01:48.590 --> 00:01:50.969
adjustment built right into the seat. If yours
00:01:50.969 --> 00:01:53.549
does, use it. You want that lower back curve
00:01:53.549 --> 00:01:56.829
supported. If your car doesn't have it, a small
00:01:56.829 --> 00:01:59.950
rolled up towel or a lumbar pillow placed right
00:01:59.950 --> 00:02:02.310
at the curve of your lower back works really
00:02:02.310 --> 00:02:05.209
well. That support helps your whole spine stack
00:02:05.209 --> 00:02:08.939
properly and takes pressure off your discs. Here's
00:02:08.939 --> 00:02:11.199
something simple that a lot of people overlook.
00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:13.680
Check your headrest. It should be positioned
00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:16.439
so the middle of the headrest lines up with the
00:02:16.439 --> 00:02:18.580
middle of the back of your head, not your neck,
00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:21.020
not the top of your head, the middle of the back
00:02:21.020 --> 00:02:23.919
of your head. This matters for safety and for
00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:27.199
reducing neck strain on long drives. Now let
00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:29.780
me give you one practical tip that costs nothing.
00:02:29.939 --> 00:02:33.039
Every 30 to 45 minutes, whether you're on a road
00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:35.639
trip or just doing errands, try to stop and get
00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:37.539
out of the car for just two or three minutes.
00:02:37.689 --> 00:02:40.849
Walk around, roll your shoulders back. Gently
00:02:40.849 --> 00:02:43.069
look left and right to loosen up your neck. That
00:02:43.069 --> 00:02:45.310
little reset does more for your body than people
00:02:45.310 --> 00:02:47.789
realize. And when you're driving, try to stay
00:02:47.789 --> 00:02:50.129
aware of your grip on the wheel. A tight white
00:02:50.129 --> 00:02:52.569
knuckle grip tenses up your forearm, shoulders
00:02:52.569 --> 00:02:54.729
and neck. Hold the wheel firmly but relaxed.
00:02:54.830 --> 00:02:57.050
Think loose and in control, not clenched and
00:02:57.050 --> 00:02:59.750
stressed. So when should you come see us? Well,
00:02:59.770 --> 00:03:01.530
if you're already dealing with neck tightness
00:03:01.530 --> 00:03:04.110
after your commute, lower back pain that seems
00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:06.449
to flare up on driving days, or tension headaches
00:03:06.449 --> 00:03:08.590
that show up later in the day after a lot of
00:03:08.590 --> 00:03:11.469
time in the car. Those are signs your body is
00:03:11.469 --> 00:03:14.150
telling you something. A chiropractic evaluation
00:03:14.150 --> 00:03:16.469
can help us figure out what's going on and get
00:03:16.469 --> 00:03:18.770
you moving and feeling better. And even if you're
00:03:18.770 --> 00:03:21.069
not in pain right now, there's real value in
00:03:21.069 --> 00:03:23.030
getting checked out. We can look at how your
00:03:23.030 --> 00:03:25.330
spine is doing and help you stay ahead of problems
00:03:25.330 --> 00:03:28.139
before they become something bigger. All right,
00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:30.539
that's a wrap for today. I really appreciate
00:03:30.539 --> 00:03:32.560
you tuning in. If you have questions or you're
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:34.939
ready to come in, give us a call or find us online.
00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.319
We're 920 Chiropractic Health and Injury Care
00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:39.840
right here in Green Bay. We'd love to help you
00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:41.699
feel your best, whether you're behind the wheel
00:03:41.699 --> 00:03:44.020
or anywhere else life takes you. Take care, drive
00:03:44.020 --> 00:03:45.479
safe, and we'll talk again soon.