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Hey there and welcome back to the podcast. I'm
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Dr. Hunter Schultz with 920 Chiropractic Health
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and Injury Care here in Green Bay. Today we're
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talking about something that affects just about
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every single one of us, driving. Specifically
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how the way you sit in your car might be quietly
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causing you neck pain, back pain. intention that
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builds up over time. And here's the good news.
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There are some really simple things you can do
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to feel a whole lot better on the road. So let
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me ask you something. How long is your daily
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commute? Maybe it's 10 minutes, maybe it's 45
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minutes each way. Whatever it is, think about
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what your body is doing during that time. You're
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sitting in one position, often not a great one,
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with vibration coming up through the seat, your
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arms reaching forward and your eyes focused ahead.
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Do that day after day and your spine starts to
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feel it. Now here's the thing, most people don't
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realize their car seat is adjustable in more
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ways than they think. And a few small changes
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can make a really big difference. Let's start
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with your seat position. You want to be close
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enough to the steering wheel that your arms have
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a slight bend at the elbow when you're holding
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it. A lot of people sit way too far back and
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end up reaching forward the whole time. That
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reaching puts strain on your shoulders and pulls
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your upper back out of alignment. So scoot in
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a little closer than you think you need to. Next,
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let's talk about your seat back. Most people
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recline it too far. I see this all the time.
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When your seat is too reclined, your head has
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to come forward to see the road, and that forward
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head position puts serious stress on your neck
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and upper back. You want your seat back to be
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pretty close to upright. Not perfectly vertical,
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but somewhere around 100 to 110 degrees of recline.
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Think of it like sitting
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in a supportive chair
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at your desk. Tall, supported, not slumped. Now,
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lumbar support. Most modern cars have a lumbar
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adjustment built right into the seat. If yours
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does, use it. You want that lower back curve
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supported. If your car doesn't have it, a small
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rolled up towel or a lumbar pillow placed right
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at the curve of your lower back works really
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well. That support helps your whole spine stack
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properly and takes pressure off your discs. Here's
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something simple that a lot of people overlook.
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Check your headrest. It should be positioned
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so the middle of the headrest lines up with the
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middle of the back of your head, not your neck,
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not the top of your head, the middle of the back
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of your head. This matters for safety and for
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reducing neck strain on long drives. Now let
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me give you one practical tip that costs nothing.
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Every 30 to 45 minutes, whether you're on a road
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trip or just doing errands, try to stop and get
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out of the car for just two or three minutes.
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Walk around, roll your shoulders back. Gently
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look left and right to loosen up your neck. That
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little reset does more for your body than people
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realize. And when you're driving, try to stay
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aware of your grip on the wheel. A tight white
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knuckle grip tenses up your forearm, shoulders
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and neck. Hold the wheel firmly but relaxed.
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Think loose and in control, not clenched and
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stressed. So when should you come see us? Well,
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if you're already dealing with neck tightness
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after your commute, lower back pain that seems
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to flare up on driving days, or tension headaches
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that show up later in the day after a lot of
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time in the car. Those are signs your body is
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telling you something. A chiropractic evaluation
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can help us figure out what's going on and get
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you moving and feeling better. And even if you're
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not in pain right now, there's real value in
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getting checked out. We can look at how your
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spine is doing and help you stay ahead of problems
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before they become something bigger. All right,
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that's a wrap for today. I really appreciate
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you tuning in. If you have questions or you're
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ready to come in, give us a call or find us online.
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We're 920 Chiropractic Health and Injury Care
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right here in Green Bay. We'd love to help you
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feel your best, whether you're behind the wheel
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or anywhere else life takes you. Take care, drive
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safe, and we'll talk again soon.