When Truck Driving Becomes A Pain In The Back

Driving a truck can be a blessing and a curse. You get to hit the open road and see the world, but you may also suffer from chronic back pain. Truck driving and back pain go hand in hand because of the long hours in a single position.

At 123Loadboard, we work with the top trucking and transport companies across North America and when it comes to back pain we have heard it all. To help support our clients with this issue, we have compiled a list of helpful tips to relieve pain at the source.

Where is Your Back Pain Coming From?

Before you start working on a cure, it’s important to know where chronic back pain stems from. For truckers, there are many things impacting your back during a drive. This includes:

• Long hours in the same position
• Vibrations from the road
• Unergonomic designed seating
• Slouching
• Physical activity level
• Flexibility

Knowing where your back pain starts gives you a better idea about what you need to work on to fix it. Medicine will only go so far if you aren’t treating the initial cause. Much like a bandage, it will mask the pain, but not get to the root of the problem.

Improving Posture and Flexibility for Back Pain

As we suggested, you can improve your back pain caused by bad posture by improving your flexibility and posture. During rest stops you can try some simple stretches to get your blood flowing, muscles stretching, and back bending (in a good way). We recommend trying:

• Downward Facing Dog – Don’t let the name fool you, this stretch has nothing to do with our canine companions. Planting both feet, bend at the waist to create an upside-down V with your body. Keep your back and arms straight as you plant your hands firmly on the ground. Hold the pose for a count of 30 seconds and release.
• Triceps Stretch – You can perform this stretch standing or sitting in your driver’s seat (just be sure the truck is parked). Lifting one arm above your head, bend at the elbow and place your hand on the center of your upper back. With your other hand, grip your elbow to hold the arm in place and feel the stretch in your shoulder, bicep, back, and neck.
• Butterfly Stretch – This is a sitting post, and may take some practice to gain flexibility and stretch out your back. Sit with your knees out and your feet together, creating the shape of a butterfly with your outstretched knees. Hold your feet together with your hands and keep your back straight. Hold for 30 seconds and release.

You may also want to work on posture when you have time to get outside, stand, and walk around. Imagine you have a string down the center of your spine and somebody is pulling it up through the top of your head. As the string is pulled, you must stretch up straight, spine, neck, and head aligned with hips and feet.

Get New Equipment

If you experience chronic back pain and your seating is to blame, it might be time to install a new ergonomic chair or get a chair cover or neck pillow that helps straighten your spine and keep you sitting tall.

The way you sit for hours at a time plays a big role in your back pain and finding ways to sit more comfortably, naturally will really help.

Get Moving With Mother Trucker Yoga

Mother Trucker Yoga helps drivers and companies just like you with small simple changes that lead to big results from the cab of your truck. It’s not about exercise, it’s about moving more, so you can feel good again and keep doing what you love.