Driving with Back Pain - Patients' Advice

Drive a car that has a soft ride. A stiff suspension can have a punishing ride.

Switch driving positions frequently and use cruise control.

From: Ball – North Carolina, USA

I saw this software that automatically adjusts your car seats, www.comfortmotion.com, a few days ago. Even though it’s not in any cars yet, it will be interesting to see how this will help with back pain and stiffness while driving.

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From: Frank - Iowa, USA

Due to herniated discs, pinched nerves and spinal stenosis in my neck and lumbar areas, my right arm/hand and right leg go completely numb when I drive more than 10-15 minutes. Then I would have stabbing pain in these areas and then my muscles spasm up making it hard to turn my neck or move my arm or leg for critical driving tasks (breaking, turning, parking etc.) Worse, many of the meds that I was taking to deal with these symptoms made driving even more impossible b/c they affect concentration and response time.

Solution: I got a SUV that was high enough so I could easier see above and around vehichles but not difficult for me to get up into. I got lumbar pillows and butt cushions to sit on. I limited driving to 10-15 minutes and parked and rested or moved around/stretched as needed. Power steering, easily adjustable mirrors and well maintained breaks helped. Also, I took meds only after I had already driven myself home. I found a good cab company or a good friend for the days that I could not or should not drive myself. Even sitting in the car as a passenger would trigger similar symptoms. Needless to say any job that required even a 20 min. commute was out of the question.

Recently, I did have a medical set back and was restricted from driving for over 2 years. Now after radio-frequency nerve ablation procedure to my back and neck and lots of prayer/healing I am now ready to start driving again. Driving is an important part of maintaining our independence despite our limitations and pain but we must remember to do so safely.

Be Blessed

From: Blessed

1) Guys the best thing you can do while driving is to put a small cushion behind your back. Be careful for the cushion should not be thick.

2) Heated seats really help.

3) Sit straight up and dont slide down.

From: Moni – New Jersey, USA

I find that if I bend my left leg while driving that relieves the pain that I get in my lower back and legs.

From: Lisa – Louisiana, USA

I couldn't tell you if it is the best thing to do, but I found that installing a spinner on my steering wheel helped me a lot.

From: Uncle Uno – Washington, USA

Driving with back pain is dangerous for you and other motorists so GET COMFY. I have driven everything with Wheels and broke the law many times driving 72 hours non stop in a commercial big rig on I-5 (known as the Hemorrhoid Hammer). It was the worst road in the universe. The OBUS FORM stands tall and provides the Back support and C spine support you need for the best drive of your life. Despite the luxurious leather upholstery of my Olds 98 I still needed my Obus Form. Even without back issues you need one. Obus Forms are transportable from the car to the dinner table. The $100 to 200 to fit you up is money well spent. VERY well. Being comfy makes you a safer driver. LOOK out for the others. Obus mattress pads are also available. This comes with Professional Driver endorsement. Driving should be a pleasure. With OBUS, you will find a dramatic instant change in life in general.

From: StormCloud Fire – British Columbia, Canada

I'm hoping that by sharing my personal experience of being cured of my sciatica that others may benefit.

I had been troubled by severe pulling pain down the back of my right leg for about 4months. I originally caused the problem by leaning forward and to my left and I overstretched.

Despite physiotherapy, the problem failed to go away. I was taking 3 Ibuprofen a day to stop the pain. I deal in cars and noticed that the pain was really bad when driving cars with soft spongy seats.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to take a week off in the sun and went to Majorca where I hired a car for the week so as to explore the Island. The car was a very low sporty vehicle, but did have hard leather seats. Being on a Spanish Island the car was a left hand drive vehicle with a manual gear change. I live in England so normally drive right hand drive vehicles.

I like driving so I drove for about 3 hours a day on average and began the holiday taking my usual 3 Ibuprofen a day. As the holiday progressed the pain started to go away and I was down to just 1 Ibuprofen a day at the end of it.

Since coming back to England I have not needed to take any Ibuprofen and a little bit of cycling on an indoor machine seems to have completed the healing process.

I can only think that repeatedly depressing the clutch of the car with my left leg whilst stretching to change gear with my right arm (instead of the left arm as we do in England) along with the low seating position, has cured me. There seems to be a certain symmetry in this motion.

I hope that by sharing my experience others may benefit, please God.

From: David – England, UK

I'm 68 with degenerative disk disease and worsening scoliosis. Finally a physical therapist discovered that I sit with a laterally tilted pelvis, so she recommended that I sit with one side on a firm cushion lift about 3/4" thick. Sometimes I irreverently call it my "Half-Ass Lift." (I hope that doesn't offend anyone, but sometimes we just have to be able to laugh at ourselves.) It straightens my back when I sit and allows my compensating muscles to rest.

I slipped it into one of those black nylon airline ticket wallets with a handle on the side, and nobody pays any attention when I sit on it. I've lost one though, so to my new one I attached a camera wrist cord with a clip to fasten to my clothes. If I get up and forget it, it just hangs at my side until I discover it. In my chairs at home I have another two that I have slipped into flat make-up cases.

The difference it has made in my life is unbelievable! I bless that PT every day!

From: Anner in TC

I drive several hundred miles a week for work and after having herniated disc surgery in my lower back and continuous S.I. joint pain, I found that the "bench-style" seats in my older Toyota Forerunner are 100 times more comfortable than my fancy new car's bucket seats. I can only manage to drive these distances with a full-back cushion that adjusts my posture (purchased thru a physical therapy office), stopping to walk and stretch every 30 minutes, making sure that my knees are aligned over my ankles and also that they are level with my hips. I also make sure my seat is close enough to the steering wheel so I'm not reclining.

From: Lisa – New Mexico, USA

I suffer from a yet-to-be-diagnosed chronic lower back pain that sometimes leaves me on the floor wincing. Driving almost any distance would cause my back to ache then tighten. I found a memory foam wedge works pretty well. The main problem, besides my back, was that the car seat was tilted down and my knees up so there was not a 90 degree angle in my knees. The foam was $80 but worth it. I've also found that most back stores will let you try products with money back.

From: The Chronic – Colorado, USA

Many years ago, I found a heating pad that plugs into the cigarette lighter. This is an option if your vehicle does not have heated seats. The heating pad also offers support at the lumbar level.

From: Melissa – Nevada, USA

1.5 years after driving my 2004 GMC Savannah full size van, I was experiencing wicked lower back pain. After herniated disc surgery and 2 months out of work, my lower back started hurting again. I then found the problem. While driving, my right leg would fall to the right. My knee was not straight, over my foot. My knee was a good 6 inches out of alignment to the right. I took a 6” piece of foam and put it on my engine cover. My knee is now over my ankle, and my pain is much better! No doctor told me that!

From: Paulie Bag O’Donuts – New Jersey, USA

Having heated seats makes huge difference. I ride with them on even if I need to put the AC on. It helps relax the back muscles. Condition is multi level degenerative discs and spinal stenosis.

From: Barbara – New Mexico, USA

After many years of driving with a bad back I have found that you first of all need a vehicle which is easy to get in and out of. A van can sometimes be better than a car as it gives you a greater entry and height to get in and out without bending. Make certain your seat is adjusted properly to give you optimum driving position. If you have a seat with rake adjustment, adjust so that your hips are slightly above your knees or use a wedge-type cushion to achieve this. If, like me, you suffer in the lower lumbar spine, use a rolled up towel in the middle of your back to alleviate the pressure on the lower spine - not too big a roll as this can hurt after a while. Alternatively you could purchase a "back friend" seat which sits upon the drivers seat and gives you correct posture. The only problem I find with these seats is that they move out of position when you get in and out of the vehicle and you have to keep adjusting them.

Also find a vehicle that has a rest for the foot you don't use when driving so that you can support yourself with this foot to keep you stable when going around corners etc. An automatic car would be a good choice for this. Also use a device which relieves the tension of the seat belt on the body.

From: Laurence – England, UK

Nothing is painfree about driving any distance over 50 miles. I have a pillow that pushes my weight to the front of the vehicle to relieve the weight on my lower lumbar spine. I use a pillow around my neck that you blow up - the kind you buy for traveling in an airplane. Getting out of the car and stretching and walking is probably the best thing I can do.

From: Anonymous

My truck has an adjustable lumbar support which works wonders! I adjust it all of the way out, but wait there's more! That alone didn't work, but if I do spine stabilization technique with my trunk muscles with the lumbar support all of the way out, I find the drive to be more comfortable.

To do this, use your lowest abdominal muscles and try to pull your belly-button back to your spine. At the same time, try to clench your low back muscles and the top of your buttocks. (This one is a little harder to master)

This doesn't alleviate all of the pain, but it sure helps! (and you get some exercise too!)

From: Mike K - Oregon, USA

I get some relief by changing my driving habits and if someone else is driving, I politely ask them to do the same which is, easy on the gas and easy on the brakes. The pain from just sitting, coupled with "herky-jerky" driving, is sometimes almost intolerable.

From: James Milo

I drive a LOT & also commute a hour or more to and from work which worsened my back pain tremendously. I finally found relief by using two things.

Along with a Moller back support that goes all the way up to my neck - I found a cushion at Walgreens - a square shaped wedge - which takes almost all of the weight off the bottom of my spine/tailbone which caused a lot of my back pain. It is called the Seat Solution Orthopedic Wedge and it's inexpensive & portable. You can also find it online.

From: Julienne – Washington, USA

Having heated seats and adjustable lumbar support makes driving bearable. Even in the summer, the a/c goes on high, and so does the heated seat!

From: Robin - South Carolina, USA

Regarding car comfort, it's not only unsafe, but illegal as well to lay down while traveling, at least in NY. Our family takes several long distance trips a year, and we have travelled the most, and most comfortably in a full size conversion van. I recommend vans built by Rockwood or Regency. I recently bought an 05' Dodge Caravan, and a trip to Maine proved how uncomfortable these minivans are. The seats are made of NASA developed super high density foam. I was sore for weeks. My bad back started when I was a teenager, cutting wood in a forest, when a tree fell on my dad. Without a log jack, the only thing I could do was attempt to lift it off him. Adrenalin kicked in and I lifted the whole tree off him, mostly with my back. Now knowing how uncomfortable the minivans are, I'm working at trading it in for a full size conversion van with comfortable captains chairs and lots of leg room. It's the only way to go on long trips. The minivans are merely little kid haulers. In my old conversion van on long trips, I would only get minimally sore, but the stiffness never lasted weeks like the minivan. And, if you really had to lie down, most of the conversion vans have a rear seat that folds down into a bed with a push of a button! Definitely get rid of the minivan, I am!

From: Dave S. - New York, USA

I can ride in a car for about an hour before I have to get out of the car and walk and walk. I have a seat cushion designed for a bad back, but it does not seem to help much. We just bought a Dodge Grand Caravan Minivan. I am hoping to figure out some way to be comfortable while my husband drives. I am most comfortable lying down.

From: Dorothy M. - Minnesota, USA

I have a neck condition and osteoarthritis. My car has to have firm, lowered suspension (sports car style) together with sports style seats that grip firmly. The rolling movements of a saloon vehicle trigger my neck problems. I travel about 1000 miles per week in the course of my job and this is the only way I can cope.

From: Jenny Yorke – Liverpool, UK

My commute is 1.5 to 2 hours long, thank god for heated seats. Mine are 8 way adjustable leather with heat. If you do not have heat, you can get one of those really good microwaveable heat bags.

From: oh-myachinback - California, USA

Communicate with others about living with back pain.

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